---

Free School Meals

Mr. John Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what estimate he has made of the number of children having free school meals in (a) Wales, (b) West Glamorgan, (c) Mid Glamorgan, (d) South Glamorgan and (e) Dyfed. [5545]

Mr. Richards: On the schools census day of 17 January 1995, the following numbers of children took free midday meals in maintained schools in:

	Number
Wales	90,408
West Glamorgan	12,052
Mid Glamorgan	21,926
South Glamorgan	14,155
Dyfed	9,429

Local Government (Compensation Costs)

Mr. Sweeney: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what supplementary credit approvals he proposes to issue to local authorities for compensation costs which they incur in 1995-96 in connection with local government reorganisation. [6379]

Mr. Hague: I propose to issue supplementary credit approvals totalling £3,570,025 to 32 councils which are abolished by the Local Government (Wales) Act 1994 and which submitted bids to me. The approvals will be for the financial year 1995-96 and will be limited to expenditure on mandatory compensation costs incurred as a result of the reorganisation.

13 Dec 1995 : Column: 667

The allocations will be as follows:

	£
Delyn Borough Council	76,377
Clwyd County Council	67,392
Colwyn Borough Council	56,160
Wrexham Maelor Borough Council	40,884
Dyfed County Council	125,798
Cyngor Dosbarth Ceredigion	93,225
Preseli Pembrokeshire District Council	72,902
Llanelli Borough Council	53,050
Carmarthen District Council	34,819
Gwent County Council	471,737
Islwyn Borough Council	69,798
Newport Borough Council	53,913
Monmouth Borough Council	39,312
Torfaen Borough Council	38,189
Gwynedd County Council	146,015
Ynys Mon-Isle of Anglesey Borough Council	140,848
Meirionnydd District Council	77,500
Cyngor Dosbarth Dwyfor	62,605
Arfon Borough Council	60,877
Aberconwy Borough Council	29,652
Mid Glamorgan County Council	336,958
Rhondda Borough Council	162,414
Merthyr Tydfil Borough Council	73,008
Rhymney Valley District Council	70,986
Taff Ely Borough Council	69,189
Cynon Valley Borough Council	61,977
Cardiff City Council	226,436
South Glamorgan County Council	202,175
Vale of Glamorgan Borough Council	97,718
West Glamorgan County Council	258,334
Swansea City Council	125,798
Lliw Valley Borough Council	73,979

Welsh Water

Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what steps he took immediately (a) before and (b) after 31 December 1994 to ensure appropriate publicity in financial markets in relation to the redemption of his golden share in Welsh water; [4120]

(2) what assessment he has made of the impact on market integrity of the publicity in December 1994 and January 1995 regarding the golden share in Welsh Water and the absence of any corrective publicity; [4176]

(3) what steps he took to correct the publicity in financial markets in December 1994 and January 1995 concerning the continued existence of his Welsh Water golden share; [4177]

Mr. Hague [holding answer 5 December 1995]: The arrangements for the redemption of the special shares held by the Secretaries of State in water holding companies were set out in section 1, chapter IV, of the prospectus for sale, copies of which are available in the Library of the House. The special share held in Welsh Water plc was redeemed on 31 December 1994 in accordance with these arrangements. No further publicity was considered necessary.

The prospectus for sale--section 9, chapter V--also gave details of special provisions in the articles of association of Welsh Water plc which prevent any person from owning or controlling more than 15 per cent. of the company's voting share capital, subject to certain limited exceptions. This remains in effect other than by a special

13 Dec 1995 : Column: 668

resolution of 75 per cent. of the company's shareholders to change its articles of association. It was agreed to incorporate this provision in the company's articles of association following concerns about the retention of Welsh interests in the water resources of Wales.

Anti-smoking Campaign

Mr. Ainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the 1995 campaigns of the Health Promotion Authority for Wales to encourage people to stop smoking, indicating the cost of each campaign in the relevant financial year. [4861]

Mr. Richards [holding answer 11 December 1995]: Health Promotion Wales's programmes are recorded on a financial year basis. For 1994-95, the latest year for which figures are available, the information is as follows:

1994-95	Thousand
No Smoking Day 1995 and pilot project with pharmacists for Non Smoking Day	37.2
Evaluation of Quit and Win	0.2
Pilot project on prevention of smoking during pregnancy	3.1
Pilot project on prevention of smoking by teenage girls	12.0
Pilot project on Quit and Win Challenge for 15-19 year olds	15.8
Pilot project on smoking policies in public places	32.8
Issue of set of educational posters for schools on benefits of not smoking	41.6
Smokebusters Cymru	67.0
Seminar to raise awareness of smoking and pregnancy booklet	0.7
Presentation to 9th World Conference on Tobacco and Health in Paris	1.0
Advice and information service	11.8
1994-95 total expenditure on smoking related projects	223.2

(5) Includes operational and manpower costs.

Mr. Ainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what television advertising campaigns at what cost have been funded in full or part by the Health Promotion Authority for Wales designed to encourage people to stop smoking. [4933]

Mr. Richards [holding answer 11 December 1995]: The Health Promotion Authority for Wales has funded no television advertising campaign for smoking cessation, either in full or in part.

SOCIAL SECURITY

Incapacity Benefit

Mr. Chris Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what are the latest estimates of the proportion of (a) incapacity benefit claimants receiving all work test questionnaires who fail to return them, (b) those returning questionnaires who fail to attend for medical examination, (c) medical examinations for the purpose of the all work test which result in the claimant being found capable of work, (d) those failing the all work test who appeal and (e) such appeals which

13 Dec 1995 : Column: 669

succeed or are superseded by a decision in favour of the appellant. [3462]

Mr. Burt: The information available is in the table.

	13 April to 31 October
Disallowed for failure to return questionnaire (IB50) without good cause	3,268
Disallowed for failure to attend medical examination without good cause	613
Found capable of work following all work test	28,597
Appeals lodged with ITS	8,882
Successful appeals at hearing	146
Superseded by adjudication officer	335

The data reflects activity during a time when the take-on of cases has been carefully controlled to match capacity as experience of the new procedures grows. It is not representative and it is too early to draw firm conclusions about the effectiveness of the new procedures. Notes: 1. Figures include only Incapacity Benefit claimants and are subject to change.

Capital Limits (Benefits)

Mr. Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what estimate he has made of the number of people in residential care who will be eligible (a) for increased benefits as a result of raising the lower capital threshold as proposed in the Budget and (b) for benefits as a result of raising the upper capital allowance as proposed in the Budget; [3995]

(2) what estimate he has made of the annual increase in benefit expenditure as a result of (a) raising the lower capital threshold as proposed in the Budget and (b) raising the upper capital allowance as proposed in the Budget. [3994]

Mr. Roger Evans: The information is set out in the table.

	Approximate numbers affected	Approximate net cost (£ million)
Lower Capital Limit	40,000	20
Upper Capital Limit	10,000	5
Total	50,000	25

These estimates do not include the cost to local authorities of applying the new limits when assessing residents' ability to contribute to the cost of their care.

---