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Disregarded Funds
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to the Chancellor of the Exchequer's undertaking in his Budget speech, Official Report, 28 November 1995, column 1067, when he expects to bring forward regulations to increase capital disregard maximum from £8,000 to £16,000; and from which date the new regulations will take effect. [13015]
Mr. Roger Evans: Regulations to increase the capital disregard maximum from £8,000 to £16,000 are expected to be laid before the House no later than 10 March. They will take effect from 1 April for housing benefit and 8 April for income support.
Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the number of claimants declaring disregarded income; if he will list the amount of income disregarded; and if he will divide these data according to each category of claimant. [13363]
Mr. Evans: The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is set out in the table.
| Client group | Number of cases | Average weekly amount disregarded (£) | Estimated annual amount of income disregarded (£ millions) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elderly | 455,000 | 36.79 | 870 |
| Sick or disabled | 249,000 | 43.87 | 568 |
| Lone parents | 74,000 | 18.08 | 70 |
| Unemployed | 44,000 | 7.97 | 18 |
| Other | 31,000 | 21.53 | 35 |
| Client group | Number of cases | Average weekly amount disregarded | Estimated annual amount of income disregarded |
|---|---|---|---|
| (£) | (£ millions) | ||
| Lone parents | 76,000 | 13.67 | 54 |
| Couples | 13,000 | 12,68 | 8 |
Source:
Income Support Statistics Quarterly Enquiries May 1994 and February 1995.
Family Credit 5 per cent. sample of awards.
Housing Benefit Management Information System, annual 1 per cent. sample without Income Support taken at the end of May 1994.
Notes:
1. Figures have been rounded to the nearest thousand, amount of income disregarded to the nearest million.
2. A breakdown by category of claimant is not available for Family Credit.
3. Disability Working Allowance data is not available in this form.
4. The client Groups used are as follows:-
"Elderly"--claimant or partner aged 60 or over.
"Sick or Disabled"--claimant receives either the Disabled or Severe Disability Premium.
"Lone Parent"--claimant receives the Lone Parent Premium.
"Unemployed"--Income Support-claimant registers as unemployed.
--Housing Benefit/Council Tax Benefit-claimant receives Unemployment Benefit.
"Other"--all other cases with disregarded income.
5. Figures refer to benefit units which may be a single person or a couple.
6. There will be an overlap between the numbers on each benefit, as a person may receive one or more of the named benefits.
7. Information on the amount of disregarded income is not collected for Housing Benefit or Council Tax Benefit.
8. For the purposes of disregarded income both benefit and other income are included.
9. The annual amount of income disregarded has been estimated by multiplying the number of cases by the average weekly amount of income disregarded and multiplying by 52 to calculate an annual amount.
2 Feb 1996 : Column: 995
Appeals Legislation
Mr. Bradley: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he has to amend social security laws in respect of appeals to (a) tribunals and (b) the social security commissioners. [13217]
Mr. Burt: Regulations are being laid on 7 February which will amend the Social Security (Adjudication) Regulations 1986. The changes are to the provisions relating to appeals to tribunals made outside the normal time limits and the way in which chairmen record the proceedings of tribunals. Regulations relating to the procedures before the Social Security Commissioners are the responsibility of my noble friend the Lord Chancellor.
DEFENCE
Army Headquarters
Mr. Trotter:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the location of the headquarters of each Army (a) division and (b) brigade, indicating to which division each brigade reports and for each brigade which Regular and Territorial Army infantry battalions are under command. [12137]
2 Feb 1996 : Column: 996
Mr. Soames:
I will write to my hon. Friend and a copy of the letter will be placed in the Library of the House.
Mr. Colvin:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the cost of carrying out an epidemiological survey to establish the existence of the alleged Gulf war syndrome. [12329]
Mr. Saomes:
The costs of the epidemiological surveys, which I announced on Tuesday 30 January in my reply to the hon. Member for South Shields, (Dr. Clark), Official Report, column 607-08, have yet to be determined.
Mr. George:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) academic and (b) non-academic (i) part-time and (ii) full-time staff are employed in the defence school of languages. [12819]
Mr. Soames:
Details of the staff employed at the defence school of languages are as follows:
| Number | |
|---|---|
| Military academic | |
| Full-time | 13 |
| Part-time | 0 |
| Military non-academic | |
| Full-time | 19 |
| Part-time | 0 |
| Total | 32 |
| Civilian academic | |
| Full-time | 19 |
| Part-time | 1 |
| Civilian non-academic | |
| Full-time | 32 |
| Part-time | 1 |
| Total | 52 |
In addition to the above there are, at present, a further 22 civilian academic staf employed on a casual basis.
Mr. George: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the future of language training within the responsibility of his Department. [12818]
Mr. Soames: The MOD's requirement for language training is regularly reviewed. The defence school of languages is being restructured as part of the defence costs study. This will take effect on 1 April 1996. Changes include the creation of a European language wing teaching French, German, Italian, Spanish and Russian; and the integration of the hitherto single service, individual language training organisations.
RAF Deployments (Morocco)
Mr. Foulkes:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what efforts have been made to obtain authorisation from the Moroccan authorities for flights at less than 300 ft
2 Feb 1996 : Column: 997
about ground level during Royal Air Force deployments to that country. [12890]
Mr. Soames:
I regret to advise that my answer of 30 November, Official Report, column 811, concerning the minimum permitted altitude of RAF training deployments to Morocco during 1995 was incorrectly stated as 300 ft above ground level. On further investigation it has been established that we received approval to carry out low flying training at a minimum height of 200 ft above ground level. In the event, though, the RAF only flew sorties down to 250 ft.
Mr. Foulkes:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what weapons and electronic warfare range facilities are available to the Royal Air Force under the arrangements with the Moroccan authorities for bilateral exercises. [12888]
Mr. Foulkes:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the dates, numbers and types of aircraft involved, numbers of sorties and minimum permitted altitudes for all Royal Air Force deployments to Morocco since November 1995; and what is the date of the next scheduled deployment. [12889]
Mr. Soames:
There have been no RAF deployments to Morocco since November 1995. Further deployments remain under consideration, but none have yet been scheduled.
Mr. Foulkes:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 30 November, Official Report, column 811, which other nations participated in the training exercise in Morocco in April 1995; and what arrangements have been established with other air forces for co-ordination of future training deployments to Morocco. [12915]
Mr. Soames:
The arrangements with Morocco referred to in my answer of 30 November, Official Report, column 811, are bilateral in nature. No other nations participated in the low flying training exercise held in Morocco in April 1995 and no arrangements have been made with other Governments to co-ordinate future training deployments to Morocco.
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