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Private Pensions
Mr. Rooney:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the total sum invested in funded private pensions in the United Kingdom; and what are the equivalent figures for (a) each country in the European Union and (b) each country in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. [14861]
12 Feb 1996 : Column: 475
Mr. Heald:
The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is in the table.
| Estimated fund | |
|---|---|
| UK | 600 |
| Germany | 157 |
| Netherlands | 138 |
| Sweden | 53 |
| Denmark | 38 |
| France | 33 |
| Finland | 20 |
| Belgium | 12 |
| Spain | 11 |
| Ireland | 9 |
| Italy | 5 |
| Portugal | 4 |
| Greece | 1 |
| Austria | 1 |
| Luxembourg | Negligible |
Sources:
1. Finnish and Swedish data relate to 1993 and are from Finnish Central Pensions Institute.
2. UK data from DSS estimate, and relates to 1993.
3. Austrian data from Austrian Government, and relate to 1994.
4. Other data from "Supplementary Pensions in the European Union"; 1994. Data for Greece relate to 1989; for Italy, Belgium and Denmark to 1991; for france to 1991/92; for Germany, Netherlands, Spain and Ireland to 1992; and for Portugal to 1992-93.
Note:
Information on the level of pension funds in OECD countries, other than for those countries which are members of the EU, is not available.
Mr. Rooney: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what assessment he has made of the effects of reduced equity investment yields on the incomes to beneficiaries of occupational and personal pensions. [14873]
Mr. Heald: All things being equal, any reduction in yield would mean that members of occupational and personal pension schemes would retire with lower pensions or that they and their employers would have to contribute more.
Mr. Rooney: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his estimate of the number of contributors to occupational pension schemes in (a) 1966, (b) 1975, (c) 1985 and (d) 1995. [14868]
Mr. Heald: Information on the number of active members of occupational pension schemes, some of whom will be in non-contributory schemes, is given by the "Survey of Occupational Pension Schemes" by the Government Actuary's Department. This is conducted every four years. The available information is in the table. Data for 1995 are not yet available.
| Year | Active members of occupational pension schemes (millions) |
|---|---|
| 1967 | 12.2 |
| 1975 | 11.4 |
| 1983 | 11.1 |
| 1987 | 10.6 |
| 1991 | 10.7 |
12 Feb 1996 : Column: 476
Mr. Rooney: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many retired persons were in receipt of occupational private pensions in (a) 1979 and (b) 1995. [14863]
Mr. Heald: It is estimated that around 6.5 million people were in receipt of an occupational pension in 1991, the latest year for which information is available. Some of these people received more than one pension. The total number of occupational pensions in payment was 7 million. In 1979, there were 3.7 million occupational pensions in payment; information on the number of people receiving these pensions is not available.
Source:
GAD Survey of Occupational Pension Schemes 1991.
Long-term Sick and Disabled People
Mr. Rooney: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what estimate he has made of the current total spending on long-term sick and disabled people and their carers; and what were the equivalent figures for 1979, 1985 and 1990. [14869]
Mr. Burt: The information is in the table.
| Year | Long-term sick and disabled |
|---|---|
| 1978-79 | 1,770 |
| 1985-86 | 5,220 |
| 1989-90 | 8,420 |
| 1994-95 | 19,600 |
Figures include payments to carers.
WALES
Cardiff Bay Land Sales
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the average price per acre of land sold for (a) industrial, (b) housing and (c) office development by the Cardiff Bay development corporation in each year since 1989. [14304]
Mr. Hague: I have asked the chief executive of the Cardiff Bay development corporation to write to the hon. Member and will arrange for a copy of his reply to be placed in the Library of the House.
EU Funding
Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was for each county and for Wales in constant prices for each of the last four years for which figures are available (a) the total amount and (b) the amount per 100,000 population in pounds sterling of money received in grants from the European Union, indicating for each year the percentage change for each category. [13395]
Mr. Gwilym Jones:
The figures are not readily available by county. For Wales, the information is as follows for each structural fund.
12 Feb 1996 : Column: 477
| 1991-92 | 1992-93 | 1993-94 | 1994-95 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total amount(23) | 73.664 | 46.129 | 51.141 | 52.519 |
| Amount/100,000 population(24) | 2.548 | 1.591 | 1.760 | 1.803 |
| Percentage change | -- | (25)-38 | +11 | +2 |
(22) Figures relate to payments made in the financial years specified.
(23) Using GDP deflator at 1 December 1995.
(24) Population figures based on the Registrar General's mid-year estimates office of Population Censuses and Surveys.
(25) The decrease in European regional development fund payments made during 1992-93 was a result of the delayed approval of the 1992-93 operational programmes.
| 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total amounts(27) | 20.882 | 19.809 | 38.087 | 37.481 |
| Amount/100,000 population(28) | 0.722 | 0.683 | 1.310 | 1.287 |
| Percentage change | -- | -5 | +92 | -2 |
(26) Figures relate to expenditure in a calendar year; the information is not available by financial year.
(27) Using GDP deflator at 1 December 1995.
(28) Population figures based on the Registrar General's mid-year estimates--office of Population Censuses and Surveys.
| 1991-92 | 1992-93 | 1993-94 | 1994-95 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total amount(30) | 108.639 | 121.707 | 171.339 | 167.368 |
| Amount/100,000 population(31) | 3.757 | 4.199 | 5.895 | 5.745 |
| Percentage change | -- | +12 | +40 | -3 |
(29) Figures relate to receipts from the EC.
(30) Using GDP deflator at 1 December 1995.
(31) Population figures based on the Registrar General's mid-year estimates--office of Population Censuses and Surveys.
National Vocational Qualifications
Mr. Morgan:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to his answer of 5 February 1996, Official Report, column 58, what assessment he has made of the factors underlying the increase in numbers in Wales classified as NVQ sub-level 1 and the decrease in the
12 Feb 1996 : Column: 478
numbers classified as NVQ level 2 between 1993-94 and 1994-95; and if he will make a statement. [14908]
Mr. Hague:
NVQ sub-level 1 relates to basic skills training in literacy and numeracy. My Department has encouraged training and enterprise councils in Wales to do more to promote these qualifications as a means of helping unemployed people who need to improve their basic skills to find work. I am very encouraged by the improvement in the number of trainees achieving these qualifications.
There is no obvious explanation for the decrease in the number of level 2 NVQs achieved, but is more than compensated for by the increase in the attainment of the other levels.
Mr. Morgan:
To ask Secretary of State for Wales (1) if he will place in the Library a copy of his recent departmental letter of guidance to the South Glamorgan family health services authority encouraging the use of individual private consultants and the British United Provident Association by general practitioner fundholders to obtain out-patient and in-patient access to consultants for their long waiting list patients; [14882]
Mr. Hague:
I have arranged for a copy of the correspondence with South Glamorgan family health services authority to be placed in the Library of the House. It has not been copied to other health authorities.
(2) if the recent departmental letter of guidance to the South Glamorgan family health services authority on the placing of contracts by general practitioner fundholders for their long waiting list patients with individual private consultants and BUPA has been copied to the other family health service authorities; what representations he has received on its contents; and if he will make a statement. [14885]