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Small Firms

Mrs. Roche: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what has been the outcome of his Department's review of measures taken to facilitate small firms' access to appropriate areas of Government procurement in the light of best practice. [6656]

Mr. Jonathan Evans: The review is not yet complete. The report is expected by the end of January 1996.

SOCIAL SECURITY

War Pension Awards (Immunisation)

Mr. Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the total number of war pension awards made as a result of conditions arising out of immunisation since 1990; and, in each case, what was the immunisation procedure concerned. [5477]

Mr. Heald: Records show that, since 1990, in one case a war pension award has been made for a condition related to immunisation. The condition involved a possible general anaphylactic reaction to vaccine, which is not vaccine specific.

Mr. Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what is the average lapse in time between a war pension being (a) applied for and (b) refused and the subsequent appeal being dealt with by a tribunal; [5079]

Mr. Heald: These are matters for Mr. John Sheppard, the acting chief executive of the War Pensions Agency. He will write to the hon. Member.

Letter from Mr. John Sheppard to Mr. Brian Wilson, dated 18 December 1995:


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As I have said, the arrangement of appeal hearings is a matter for the PAT who come under the jurisdiction of the Lord Chancellor's Department. They have told me that the average time taken since April this year for the PAT to schedule a hearing following receipt of the Statement of Case from WPA is 42.35 weeks.




    I am aware that the PAT have addressed the problem of large numbers of appeals awaiting hearing by increasing the number of courts held each day. These have increased from 4-5 at the end of 1994 to 7-8 now and the intention is to further increase the number to 10 next April. In addition there has been an increase in the number of cases heard each day by each court.
    You have also asked the proportion of rejected claims that go to appeal and are subsequently granted. Again, I am unable to provide that exact information you have asked for because of the time limits I explained earlier. I can, however, give you the following information on the number of rejected first claims and entitlement appeals, as well as those allowed by the PAT during the last three financial years. Not all appeals proceed to the Tribunal because we are sometimes able to review the decision and allow the claim, or the appellant withdraws the appeal after it has been lodged. I must stress that because of the time lapse, there is no direct correlation between the figures shown.

    Year Rejections Ent. appeals lodged Ent. appeals sent to PAT Ent. appeals allowed at PAT
    1992-9314,8508,4512,209555
    1993-9419,88910,0014,754994
    1994-9514,156(14)5,1585,0741,242

    (14) From 5 April 1994 an appeal is classed as lodged from the date

    that appeal forms are returned to the War Pensions Agency. Previously, an intention to appeal was classed as a lodged appeal. I hope you find my reply helpful.


Benefits Smart Card

Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what will be the cost of introducing a benefits smart card system. [4729]

Mr. Heald: The feasibility studies estimated set up costs for a magnetic stripe card system and supporting technology to be £135 million. The same studies estimate that when fully implemented the system would save approximately £140 billion a year in benefits fraud. Competitive proposals are being considered now, under the private finance initiative, from the three short-listed potential service providers. The cost will not be known until the procurement process has been completed.

Housing Benefit

Mr. George Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what were the numbers and amounts

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of housing benefit backdated payments under regulation 72(15); and what percentage this was of each local authority's housing benefit expenditure in each year since 1991-92. [5053]

Mr. Roger Evans: The information has been placed in the Library.

Uprating

Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list (a) for each benefit and each capital or income limit which is not to be increased in April 1996, the reasons for not going so and (b) the current value of

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each such benefit or limit and the value which would have resulted from increasing it in line with prices and average earnings since it was last increased or since it was introduced. [4084]

Mr. Burt: The figures requested for the existing social security benefits and capital or income limits which will not be uprated in April 1996 are in the table. In deciding whether or not to increase those benefits and limits which are not required to be uprated by statute, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State takes into account many factors, including the national economic situation and whether increasing these items is in accordance with his general policy.

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Benefit/Limit Current value Date from which current value applied April 1996 rate if increased by rise in earnings since date at column 3 April 1996 rate if increased by rise in prices since date at column 3 Basis of calculation for figure in column (5)
Widows Payment1,000April 19881,632.101,473.20RPI
Capital Limits in3,000April 19884,896.104,297.15Rossi
IS and FC8,000April 199010,929.2010,403.60
Capital Limits in3,000April 19884,896.104,297.15Rossi
HB16,000April 199021,858.3520,807.25
UB Earnings Limit2 per dayMarch 19825.204.00RPI
UB Earnings Limit (full extent normal) 12 December 1989 17.90 16.75 RPI
IS Earnings5April 19888.157.15Rossi
Disregards1524.5021.50
HB/CTB Earnings5April 19888.157.15Rossi
Disregards10April 198816.4014.30
15April 198824.5021.50
25October 199034.1032.50
War Pension disregard for income-related benefits (irbs) 10 April 1990 13.65 12.95 Rossi
Income from a boarder (irbs) 20 April 1990 27.30 26.00 Rossi
Disregard of income from a sub-tenant 4 April 1988 6.45 5.75 Rossi
Disregard of Training Bonus (irbs) 200 September 1988 326.45 294.60 RPI
Maintenance disregard (HB, CTB, FC, DWA) 15 April 1992 17.35 16.90 Rossi
Student Loan disregard (irbs) 10 September 1990 13.65 12.95 Rossi
Occupational Pension Disregard (UB) 35 April 1981 101.80 77.10 RPI
Lower savings limit for Voluntary Unemployment Deduction (UB and IS) 200 April 1988 326.45 286.45 Rossi
Protected earnings limit where IS recovered after Trade Dispute 27 April 1988 44.05 38.65 Rossi
SF Maternity Payment100April 1990136.65130.05Rossi
SF Capital Limits500April 1987879.65739.15Rossi
(Maternity and(Under 60)
Funeral Payments)1,000April 19901,366.151,300.45
(60 years and over)
Additional Expenses limit for SF Funeral Payment 75 April 1987 132.00 110.90 Rossi
Over 80 Age Addition to RP 25p September 1971 3.65 1.65 RPI
Christmas Bonus10December 1972110.5566.95RPI
Limit for recovery of benefit from Compensation payments 2,500 September 1990 3,415.40 3,232.10 RPI
ICA Earnings Limit50April 199355.1054.05RPI
Lone Parent(IS) 5.20April 1995(15)5.35(15)5.35Rossi
Premium11.50(15)11.85(15)11.85
(HB/CTB)
One Parent Benefit6.30April 19956.506.55RPI
Community Care500April 1988815.95716.15Rossi
Grants and(Under 60)
Budgeting loans1,0001,632.101,432.35
(60 years and over)
IS Amount for1.10April 19881.701.60Rossi
meals1.552.502.20
IS: Personal17.35April 199517.8517.85Rossi
Expenses for Claimant and Partner, Dependant Child aged 18, Polish Home, Ilford Park 15.55 April 1995 16.00 16.00
Pneumoconiosis, Byssinosis and Miscellaneous Diseases Scheme Maximum Death Benefit 300 1952 12,697.50 4,474.00 RPI

Notes:

(15)No difference between Earnings/Rossi calculations due to effect of rounding to nearest 5p.

The uprating of each benefit in column 5 has been carried out using price indices in the same way as for actual upratings since 1971. "RPI" in column 6 indicates that the Retail Price Index (all items) has been used throughout. "Rossi" refers to the RPI less all housing costs up to the 1991 uprating; the RPI less rent, mortgage payments and 80 per cent. of community charge for the 1992 uprating; and the RPI less rent, mortgage payments and council tax thereafter. It is assumed that benefits would have been uprated before 1971 in line with the RPI at the dates of uprating of Retirement Pension. The uprating of benefits by earnings in column 4 is based on the average earnings of full-time adult male manual employees before 1963, the old series index of earnings from 1963 to 1976 and the average earnings index (whole economy) unadjusted since 1976. The same uprating dates have been used as for the calculations at column 5. The index for September 1995, used for the 1996 calculation, is provisional and subject to change. All calculations are rounded to the nearest 5p at each uprating date. Where the current value of a benefit was set at a date between upratings the calculation has started from the previous uprating date. Abbreviations: IS = Income Support; FC = Family Credit: HB = Housing Benefit; UB = Unemployment Benefit; CTB = Council Tax Benefit; DWA = Disability Working Allowance; SF = Social Fund; RP = Retirement Pension; ICA = Invalid Care Allowance.


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18 Dec 1995 : Column: 887


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