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Incapacity Benefit
Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what estimate he has made of the numbers of people in receipt of incapacity benefit who are no longer eligible for invalidity benefit at the most recent date for which information is available. [11088]
Mr. Burt: On 13 April 1995, all recipients of invalidity benefit transferred to incapacity benefit at the rate of the benefit in payment. At 31 August 1995, the latest date for which information is available, 1.64 million 1 people were in receipt of incapacity benefit who had, before 13 April 1995, been in receipt of invalidity benefit.
1 Note: Figures excludes a small number of cases paid clerically.
National Disability Council
Mr. Sumberg: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he is in a position to announce the chairman and membership of the National Disability Council. [12066]
Mr. Burt: I am delighted to announce that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Security has appointed David Grayson 1 of Business in the Community, as the chairman of the National Disability Council, and the following council members:
Doug Alker 1 , Chief Executive of RNID Christopher Brocksom, Chief Executive of AXA Equity and Law Alan Dickson, Deputy Director of The Scottish Spastics Society Ann Foster 1 , Director of The Scottish Consumer Council Tanni Grey 1 , Chairman of the British Wheelchair Racing Association David Jenkins, General Secretary of the Welsh TUC Colin Low 1 , Vice Chairman of RNIB Jim McAllister, Divisional Director of Marks and Spencers Bert Massie 1 , Director of RADAR, and member of DPTAC David Mills, Managing Director of Retail Banking Services, Midland Bank Martin Reaveley 1 , Director of Corporate Finance and Planning, Bass PLC Phillipa Russell 1 , Director of the Council for Disabled Children David Roberts 1 , Founder member of Clwyd People First Kevin Shinkwin 1 , parliamentary advisor to the Muscular Dystrophy Group Alan Smith, Chairman of NACEPD Jenny White, Deputy Legal Advisor to the Electricity Association
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1 indicates that the member is either a disabled person or the parent or guardian of a person with disabilities
In making these appointments, the Secretary of State has met the commitments given in Parliament that membership will be drawn from throughout Great Britain and sought to provide common membership with the National Advisory Council on the Employment of People with Disabilities and the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Council. More than half of the membership of the council are disabled people or the parents or guardians of people with disabilities. They will bring to the council a wide range of experience of disability. the disabilities represented include sensory impairments, mobility difficulties and learning disabilities.
The National Disability Council can make a great contribution to the reduction of discrimination against disabled people and the chairman and members will be crucial to its success. I believe that we have achieved the right balance of experience of business and disability.
Dr. Hampson:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list, by region, the figures for city grants approvals and achievements since May 1988 in terms of (a) schemes approved, (b) grants approved (c) total private sector investment and (d) the gearing ratio and jobs created. [10188]
Sir Paul Beresford:
The following table provides the information requested for city grant applications administered either centrally by my Department, or by English partnerships since 10 November 1993, city challenge partnerships and the urban development corporations.
(18) This does not include approved schemes on which grant was not drawn down.
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25 Jan 1996 : Column: 367
Mr. Harry Greenway:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what responsibilities local authorities have to house asylum seekers whose applications (a) are under consideration and (b) have been refused; and if he will make a statement. [11203]
Mr. Clappison:
At present the homelessness legislation requires local authorities to secure accommodation for asylum seekers who are unintentionally homeless and in priority need, if there is no other accommodation available for them. When the Asylum and Immigration Bill becomes law we propose to make an order that would remove entitlement under the homelessness legislation from those persons who apply for asylum after they have entered this country, and from those asylum seekers who remain in this country pending the outcome of an appeal against an initial negative decision. This will align entitlement under the homelessness legislation with entitlement to housing benefit.
Mr. Pike:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Enviornment how much each local authority took from balances to fund budget expenditure in 1995-96. [11596]
Sir Paul Beresford:
I have placed the information in the Library of the House.
Mr. Dobson:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Enviornment what would be the effect of an 8 per cent. increase in council tax on (a) the total yield of council tax in Great Britain, (b) the total yield of council tax in England, (c) the council tax bill in England for each valuation band, (d) the average council tax in England, expressed as the total yield from the council tax divided by the total number of chargeable dwellings, (e) council tax benefit, (f) the retail price index and (g) index-linked benefits. [11728]
Mr. Gummer:
The information relating to Wales and Scotland is the responsibility of my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Wales and for Scotland.
If council taxes in England had increased in 1995-96 by an additional 8 per cent. compared to actual levels, the approximate effect is estimated as follows:
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Mr. David Nicholson:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received regarding the proposal to establish a chicken litter fuelled power station at Poole farm, near Wellington, Somerset; and if he will make a statement. [11826]
Sir Paul Beresford:
The Government office for the south west has received two representations objecting to the proposed electricity generating station at Wellington, Somerset.
Copies of the relevant papers have not yet arrived from the local planning authority, Somerset county council. Upon receipt it will be considered whether the issues raised merit my intervention.
Mr. Malcolm Bruce:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what estimate he has made of the annual telephone costs to (a) his Department, (b) his Department's agencies and (c) his Department's non-departmental public bodies staff for each of the years (i) 1979-80, (ii) 1989-90, (iii) 1991-92, (iv) 1993-94,
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(v) 1994-95, (vi) 1995-96 and (vii) 1996-97; and if internal telephone directories are available to staff in all areas of (a) to (c); [11398]
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Sir Paul Beresford:
The tables set out the information available on annual telephone costs and expenditure on consultants respectively.
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(c) average council tax levels, before council tax benefit or transitional relief, would increase
Band A: by £32 to £439
Band B: by £38 to £512
Band C: by £43 to £585
Band D: by £49 to £658
Band E: by £60 to £804
Band F: by £70 to £950
Band G: by £81 to £1,096
Band H: by £97 to £1,316
(d) the average bill per chargeable dwelling, before council tax benefit or transitional relief, would increase by £40 to £538;
(e) council tax benefit would increase by £170 million;
(f) the increase would add around 0.2 percentage points to the percentage change over 12 months in the all items retail prices index.
(g) the precise effect on those benefits linked to the retail prices index would depend on whether this marginal change resulted in benefit levels moving up or staying unchanged. As an approximate guide, an additional 0.2 percentage points on the rate of inflation would add around £80 million to the cost of those benefits in a full year. There would be no effect on those income related benefits which are usually linked to the Rossi index.
(2) what assessment he has made of the expenditure of his Department, agencies and non-departmental public bodies on all external consultants including management consultants for each of the years (a) 1979-80, (b) 1989-90, (c) 1991-92, (d) 1993-94, (e) 1994-95 and (f) 1995-
96 (i) to date and (ii) as estimated for the whole year; what estimate he has made of such expenditure for 1996-97; and if he will estimate the savings accruing to his Department from the use of consultants in each of these years. [11395]
| 1989-90 | 1991-92 | 1993-94 | 1994-95 | 1995-96 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DoE (Central) | 3,554 | 3,051 | 2,728 | 2,532 | 1,920 |
| Property Holdings | n/a | 385 | 159 | 132 | 145 |
| PSAS | 6,052 | 6,047 | 2,170 | 105 | 50 |
| Total department | 9,606 | 9,483 | 5,057 | 2,769 | 2,115 |
| Planning inspectorate | 0 | 0 | 162 | 77 | 46 |
| Building research establishment | 173 | 194 | 237 | 172 | 108 |
Figures for planning inspectorate for 1989-90 and 1991-92 are included within the departmental total.
The figure for Property Holdings for 1989-90 is included within the figure for PSAS.
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Figures for planning inspectorate for 1989-90 are included within the departmental total.
The figure for PSAS includes works consultancies.
The figure for Property Holdings for 1989-90 is included within the figure for PSAS.
Excludes expenditure on the Department's strategic IT consultancies.
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The remaining information requested on telephone costs and consultancies is not held centrally in the form required and could be made available only at disproportionate cost.
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