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EDS Ltd.
Ms Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list those contracts his Department currently holds with EDS, indicating for each the (a) date of inception, (b) value and (c) duration. [17457]
Mr. Burt: The information is not available in the format requested.
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The contracts and agreements currently held with EDS are as follows:
| Start date | Duration (years) | |
|---|---|---|
| CSA Software Support Services Agreement | 7 March 1992 | 10 |
| CSA Operational Accounting System | 7 March 1992 | 10 |
| CSA Maintenance Assessment | 8 July 1992 | 10 |
| CSA Technical Services Agreement | 1 May 1994 | 3 |
| Start date | Duration (years) | |
|---|---|---|
| ITSA Data Centre Services | 1 October 1995 | 10 |
The charges for these contracts are based on the volumes of outputs handled, and therefore values will depend on future levels of business. Current estimates are that over the 10-year period charges will be in the region of £600 million.
"Options for Equality" Report
Mr. Foulkes: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what conclusions he has reached on the recommendations of the 1992 Social Security Advisory Committee report "Options for Equality in State Pension Age" that (a) there should be a new premium with income support for those unemployed for more than two years and aged over 55 years and long-term sick or disabled aged over 55 years, (b) invalid care allowance should be extended to 65 years for women and (c) the relationship between invalidity benefit and retirement pension should be reviewed. [18483]
Mr. Roger Evans: The Government have noted the comments of the 1992 Social Security Advisory Committee's proposals, including the three listed.
We have no plans to introduce a new premium in income support. The existing premium structure directs additional resources to those groups identified as having extra needs.
Regulations came into force on 28 October 1994 equalising the upper age limit for claiming invalid care allowance at 65 for both men and women.
Invalidity benefit was replaced by incapacity benefit on 13 April 1995. Entitlement to the long-term rate of incapacity benefit ends when a person reaches state pension age. We have no plans to change this condition.
Mr. Jim Cunningham:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the level of Government funding for the United Kingdom forum of mobility centres. [18542]
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Mr. Burt:
The table sets out the Government support to two members of the UK forum of mobility centres. In addition, the Department of Transport funds its own mobility centre--the mobility advice and vehicle information service--which is based at Crowthorne, Berkshire.
| Forum member | Allocation 1995-96 £ |
|---|---|
| Banstead Mobility Centre | 54,000 |
| Mobility Information Service | 13,000 |
Publicity Costs
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how much was spent in 1995 on publicising leaflet DS704; and how much is to be spent in 1996. [18546]
Mr. Roger Evans: Leaflet DS704 forms part of the Benefits Agency's extensive leaflet programme and, as such, it is made available in a number of ways. There is no specific advertising of this leaflet and to extract a figure for its part of the overall budget for publicising benefits could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Pensioners' Incomes
Mr. Foulkes: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what longitudinal studies of pensioners' incomes he has conducted to investigate the extent to which the incomes of a representative sample of pensioners have changed since 1979; and if he will publish the results of these studies. [18336]
Mr. Heald: There are no DSS studies of the type described. We have commissioned a longitudinal survey of a nationally representative sample of people who were aged 55 to 69 when first interviewed in 1988-89. The results of the initial interviews can be found in an Office of Population Censuses and Surveys report entitled "Retirement and Retirement Plans", a copy of which is available in the Library. In 1994 this group were re-interviewed and a report based upon both sets of interviews will be published by the summer of 1997. Information on the average incomes of pensioners 1979-1993 is published in "Pensioners' Incomes Series 1993", a copy of which is available in the Library.
Disabled People (Discrimination)
Mr. Callaghan: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what action the Government are taking to tackle discrimination against disabled people (a) nationally and (b) in the Greater Manchester area.[18347]
Mr. Burt: The Disability Discrimination Act 1995, which applies to the whole of the United Kingdom, will make discrimination against disabled people unlawful in the fields of employment, services and property. It also includes measures to improve access to transport and education. The National Disability Council has been set up to advise the Government on the elimination of discrimination against disabled people and the operation of the Act.
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Motability
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what monitoring his office carries out of Motability and Motability Finance Ltd.; and what representations he has received about Motability Finance Ltd.'s financial arrangements and profits. [18547]
Mr. Burt: Motability is required to report to the Department in accordance with conditions set out in the financial memorandum, the latest copy of which is in the Library. Motability Finance Ltd., MFL, is neither funded by nor accountable to this Department. Representations about the finance arrangements and profits of MFL have been received from several Members of both Houses, and a few members of the public.
Income Support (Mortgages)
Mr. Chris Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many borrowers who have claimed income support for help with mortgages since October 1995 are currently repaying loans at a rate higher than the 5 per cent. standard rate set by his Department in October 1995; and what savings this interest rate ceiling has produced to date. [18302]
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Mr. Roger Evans: The standard rate applied under the income support mortgage interest scheme is 8 per cent.; prior to 28 January it was 8.39 per cent. The standard rate is applied unless the borrower's actual interest rate is less than 5 per cent. when help with mortgage interest payments begins. In such cases, that rate is used until the borrower's actual rate increases to 5 per cent. or more, at which stage, the standard rate is applied. Information on the claimant's actual interest rate is not collected when the standard rate is applied. Outturn information on savings from the introduction of the standard rate will become available when the February 1996 quarterly statistical inquiry is published.
National Insurance
Ms Corston: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is estimated to be the total value of (a) employers' and (b) employees' national insurance contributions; and what would be the corresponding total values if (i) contributions at present rates were collected on all earnings, (ii) contributions at present rates were extended only to earnings below the lower earnings level and (iii) contributions at present rates were extended only above the upper earnings level in (1) 1994-95, (2) 2000-01, (3) 2010-01, (4) 2020-01 and (5) 2030-01, at 1994 prices. [18914]
Mr. Heald: The information is in the table:
| 1994-95 | 2000-01 | 2010-11 | 2020-21 | 2030-31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (a) Employers | |||||
| Current structure | 26.7 | 33.0 | 40.3 | 46.9 | 52.4 |
| (i) Extended to all earnings(11) | 26.9 | 33.1 | 40.4 | 47.0 | 52.5 |
| (ii) Extended to earnings below LEL(11) | 26.9 | 33.1 | 40.4 | 47.0 | 52.5 |
| (iii) Extended to earnings above UEL(12) | 26.7 | 33.0 | 40.3 | 46.9 | 52.4 |
| (b) Employees | |||||
| Current structure | 20.1 | 24.4 | 28.0 | 30.1 | 30.7 |
| (i) Extended to all earnings(13)(14) | 23.1 | 29.6 | 36.1 | (15)42.0 | (15)47.0 |
| (ii) Extended to earnings below LEL(13) | 20.2 | 24.5 | 28.1 | (15)30.1 | (15)30.7 |
| (iii) Extended to earnings above UEL(14) | 23.0 | 29.5 | 36.0 | 42.0 | 47.0 |
Notes:
(11) Assumes the current 3 per cent. contribution rate would apply to earnings below the Lower Earnings Limit.
(12) There is no Upper Earnings Limit on employers' contributions.
(13) Assumes the current 2 per cent. contribution rate would apply to earnings below the Lower Earnings Limit.
(14) Assumes the current 10 per cent. contribution rate would apply to earnings above the Upper Earnings Limit.
(15) The additional yield from contributions on earnings below the Lower Earnings Limit is estimated to be negligible.
1. The figures for 2000-01 and later years are based on the assumptions contained in the "National Insurance Fund Long Term Financial Estimates" (HC160) published in January 1995. All figures exclude the effects of contracted-out rebates.
Source:
Government Actuary's Department.
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Mr. Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what estimate he has made of the number of men aged between 60 and 64 years who paid employee's national insurance contributions in the last year for which figures are available. [19496]
Mr. Heald: In the 1992-93 tax year 571,000 men 1 aged between 60 and 64 at 5 April 1993 paid some employee's national insurance contributions.
Notes:
Includes men who paid a mixture of class 1 employee and class 2 self-employed national insurance contributions.
Source:
1 per cent. sample of national insurance records.
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