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National Insurance

Mr. Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list for each year since 1966 (a) the total number of national insurance numbers in the United Kingdom, (b) the new numbers issued and (c) the total taken out of use; and if he will make a statement on the relation of (a) to (c) to the total number of people (i) working and (ii) potentially available for work. [11546]

Mr. Heald: The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is in the table.

Tax year	Total number of National Insurance Numbers in the United Kingdom	Total number of new National Insurance Numbers issued
1965-66	35,885,700	--
1966-67	36,947,100	1,061,400
1967-68	37,725,600	778,500
1968-69	38,849,200	1,123,600
1969-70	39,766,000	916,800
1970-71	40,594,300	828,300
1971-72	41,626,500	1,032,200
1972-73	42,260,300	633,800
1973-74	42,568,800	308,500
1974-75	43,650,700	1,081,900
1975-76	44,858,700	1,208,000
1976-77	46,351,000	1,492,300
1977-78	47,401,100	1,050,100
1978-79	48,453,200	1,052,100
1979-80	49,547,100	1,093,900
1980-81	50,607,200	1,060,100
1981-82	51,634,600	1,027,400
1982-83	52,647,700	1,013,100
1983-84	53,655,600	1,007,900
1984-85	54,670,000	1,014,400
1985-86	55,682,000	1,012,000
1986-87	56,708,200	1,026,200
1987-88	57,722,900	1,014,700
1988-89	58,709,400	986,500
1989-90	59,659,800	950,400
1990-91	60,573,400	913,600
1991-92	61,420,100	846,700
1992-93	62,223,300	803,200
1993-94	63,020,900	797,600
1994-95	63,850,100	829,200

Source:

1 per cent. sample of the National Insurance Recording System (NIRS).

29 Jan 1996 : Column: 591

EU Residents (Benefit Entitlement)

Mr. Churchill: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make an estimate of the saving to public funds of the introduction of a five-year residency rule for benefit entitlement in the case of citizens of countries outside the European economic area seeking to live in the United Kingdom. [12206]

Mr. Roger Evans: There is insufficient information upon which to base a reasonable estimate.

Child Care

Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will publish the figures for the take-up in Wales, and the United Kingdom as a whole, of the child care disregard for families in receipt of housing benefit and family credit since its introduction; if he will provide the same figures for single parent families only; and if he will make a statement about what promotional activity has been undertaken to inform the public of the increase in the child care disregard announced in the Budget. [12402]

Mr. Roger Evans: Between 4 October 1994 and 30 September 1995, approximately 28,000 families in Great Britain benefited from the child care disregard in family credit. As at 30 September 1995, about 21,000 families in Great Britain, of whom 20,000 were lone parents, were receiving help, including about 1,000 families in Wales. Information on families receiving the help through housing benefit will not be available until later this year and take-up estimates are not available for any benefit. Figures for Northern Ireland fall within the remit of my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.

The further increase in the disregard announced in the Budget was publicised through a press release in

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November 1995. Further publicity measures are still under consideration but will include references in leaflets, the child benefit order book and in a newspaper covering work, benefit and training issues in an easy-to-read form, produced by the Department and distributed by the Benefits Agency and Employment Services.

Source:
Five per cent. sample of family credit awards between 4 October 1994 and 30 September 1995; and as at 30 September 1995.

Disabled People (Access)

Mr. McMaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what assessment he has made of the accessibility of Benefits Agency offices to disabled people; what percentage remain inaccessible to disabled people in terms of (a) physical and (b) sensory disability; and if he will make a statement; [9284]

(2) how he assesses the accessibility of offices other than those of the Benefits Agency for which he is responsible to disabled people; what percentage remains inaccessible to disabled people in terms of (a) physical and (b) sensory disability; and if he will make a statement. [9251]

Mr. Burt: This is a matter for Mr. Peter Mathison, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member with such information as is available.

Letter from Peter Mathison to Mr. Gordon McMaster, dated 26 January 1996:

The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Questions asking what assessment he has made of the accessibility of Benefits Agency offices to disabled people; and how he assesses the accessibility of offices other than those of the Benefits Agency (BA) for which he is responsible to disabled people; what percentage remain inaccessible to disabled people in terms of (a) physical and (b) sensory disability; and if he will make a statement.
The BA shares its public outlets with the Child Support Agency and War Pensions Agency. The Contributions Agency has public access at only 4 of its independent sites and the Independent Tribunal Service has 44 sites with public access. Caller enquiries relating to the BA, Contributions Agency, Child Support Agency and War Pensions Agency are generally all handled at offices operated by the BA.
Annexe A shows the percentage of offices that we consider are accessible to physically disabled persons.
The accessibility of buildings is assessed on a quarterly basis. The data collated includes details on whether the building is provided with level access, a ramp or lift to avoid steps or stairways, if it has a loop-aid or minicom system to assist those with hearing difficulties and if it has any special features to assist blind or partially sighted visitors. Disabled access is automatically considered for all new buildings and major refurbishments on existing buildings.
The provision of Loop Systems to aid the hard of hearing and special signs for the blind and partially sighted are a standard design consideration in major refurbishment or new buildings. Sixty seven percent of existing buildings have had loop-aid systems installed.
Offices which remain inaccessible are treated as a priority for capital funding, providing modification of the building is technically possible.
I hope you find this reply helpful.

29 Jan 1996 : Column: 593

Annexe A

Agency	Number with flat/ramped access	Number without flat/ramped access
Benefits agency (including Child Support, Contributions and War Pensions Agency)	614 (84 per cent.)	117 (16 per cent.)
Contributions agency	4 (100 per cent.)	0
Independent tribunal service	38 (86 per cent.)	6 (14 per cent.)




Figures are provisional and subject to amendment.

Widows' Pensions

Mrs. Ann Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many women in receipt of a widow's pension have had their income entitlement reassessed in the last six months because of miscalculations by his Department relating to the former husband having contracted out of his state pension arrangements. [12117]

Mr. Heald: This is a matter for Peter Mathison, chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member.

Letter from Peter Mathison to Mrs. Ann Taylor dated 26 January 1996:

The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many women in receipt of a Widows Pension (WP) have had their income entitlement reassessed in the last six months because of miscalculations by his Department relating to the former husband having contracted out of his state pension arrangements.
All new awards of WP from October 1995 have been assessed correctly following a change to the computer system. The Benefits Agency is in the process of examining all WP cases that existed prior to October 1995. Until this exercise has been completed figures will not be available. Completion is due by the end of March 1996.

Asylum Seekers

Mr. George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will publish (a) the current cost of providing social security payments to asylum seekers broken down by type of benefit, numbers of claimants and regional location and (b) any guidance or procedures issued which are currently in force on social security payments of any kind to asylum seekers. [12106]

Mr. Andrew Mitchell: The administration of income support is a matter for Peter Mathison, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member.

Letter from Peter Mathison to Mr. George Howarth, dated 26 January 1996:

The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking if he will publish (a) the current cost of providing social security payments to asylum seekers broken down by type of benefit, numbers of claimants and regional location and (b) any guidance or procedures issued which are currently in force on social security payments of any kind to asylum seekers.
The information is not available in the format requested. In May 1994, the most recent date for which complete information is available, expenditure on Income Support, Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit for asylum seekers was an estimated £4.7 million per week in total. this comprised £2.4 million Income Support, £2.2 million Housing Benefit and £0.1 million Council Tax

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Benefit. There were just over 42,000 claims to Income Support from Asylum Seekers, of which 28,000 were also claiming Housing Benefit and 11,000 claiming Council Tax Benefit. Regional figures and information on other benefits is unavailable.
Guidance on asylum seekers is available in the Adjudication Officer's Guide paragraphs 28751-28900. The Handbook "Persons from abroad for Income Support staff" provides procedural guidance for BA staff. These are available in the Library.
I hope you find this reply helpful.

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