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Housing Benefit

Mr. Nigel Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his policy on extending exemption from the restrictions to housing benefit from October to all young people who have been looked after by local authorities and to whom local authorities have a duty to provide a service up to the age of at least 21 years, pursuant to section 24 of the Children Act 1989; and if he will make a statement. [27047]

Mr. Roger Evans: It would be unreasonable to expect the taxpayer to subsidise rents which are above those for the sort of accommodation which single young people expect to occupy where they meet rent from their own resources merely because a social service department owes duties under the Children Act. The arrangement whereby people aged under 22, who were previously subject to a care order, will be exempt from some housing benefit changes to be introduced in October, is a concession which recognises the particular vulnerability of young people for whom a court considers it necessary

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for a social service department to assume parental responsibility. Other young people will not be affected by the new arrangements if they live in exempt accommodation, including that provided by a housing association, voluntary body or registered charity where care, support or supervision is provided to the tenant by, or on behalf of, the landlord.

Mr. Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what advice he will give on obtaining housing for young people in housing need in Gloucestershire after the introduction of restrictions to housing benefit in October 1996; and if he will make a statement. [27043]

Mr. Evans: Housing benefit will remain available to help young single people in Gloucestershire and elsewhere meet the general level of rents for the sort of accommodation which they tend to occupy if they meet rent from their own resources. It would be unreasonable to expect the taxpayer to subsidise rents above this level. Young people will have access to a pre-tenancy determination to indicate the likely level of rent which would be used to assess benefit.

Mr. Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many young people aged at least 15 years, who were looked after by Gloucestershire's social services department in March 1996 but who were not subject to a care order, pursuant to section 31(1) (a) of the Children Act 1989, will not be exempt from the housing benefit restrictions for young people from October 1996, if they remain in the care system through and beyond their 16th birthdays; and if he will make a statement. [27045]

Mr. Evans: The information requested is not yet available.

Mr. Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what estimate he has made of the number of young people in Gloucestershire who will be in housing need in the county in the year following the introduction of restrictions to housing benefit in October 1996; and if he will make a statement. [27044]

Mr. Evans: The October 1996 housing benefit rules for single young people should not lead to housing need. Housing benefit will remain payable after that date based on rent levels for the sort of dwellings which young single people tend to occupy if they meet rent from their own resources. Local authorities will have discretion, and some additional funding, to pay higher levels of benefit to prevent exceptional hardship in individual cases.

Mr. Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his policy on exemption from the restrictions to housing benefit from October 1996 for those young people in contact with Barnados leaving care project in Gloucestershire, while looked after by Gloucestershire's social services department (a) who are subject to care orders under section 31(1)(a) of the Children Act 1989, and towards whom the local authority maintains duties until at least their 21st birthday, pursuant to section 24 of the said Act and (b) who are not subject to such care orders, but towards whom the local authority maintains duties until at least their 21st birthday; and if he will make a statement. [27046]

Mr. Evans: Young people who are "looked after" by social services departments cannot receive housing benefit if the terms by which they are provided with

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accommodation under the Children Act means that they cannot be liable to pay for it. Guidance covering this area will be issued shortly.

Children who cease to be "looked after" may be entitled to housing benefit if they become liable to pay for their dwelling. It would be unreasonable to expect the taxpayer to subsidise rents for single young people which are above the level for the sort of accommodation which they expect to occupy where they meet rent from their own resources simply because they were previously looked after, or assisted by, a social services department. The concession whereby people aged under 22 who were previously subject to a care order will be exempt from some housing benefit changes to be introduced in October recognises the particular vulnerability of young people for whom a court considers it necessary for a social services department to assume parental responsibility. Other young people will not be affected by the new arrangements if they live in exempt accommodation, including that provided by a housing association, voluntary body or registered charity where care, support or supervision is provided to the tenant by, or on behalf of, the landlord.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

Chickens and Pigs

Mr. Redmond: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what monitoring of his Department's Veterinary Laboratories Agency has carried out into the hormone residues in (a) pigs and (b) chickens with particular reference to strains of disease similar to bovine spongiform encephalopathy; what have been the results to date; and if he will make a statement; [24223]

(2) what monitoring his Department's Veterinary Laboratories Agency has carried out into the hormone residues in (a) chickens and (b) pigs which are used in the manufacture of pet foods with particular reference to strains of disease similar to bovine spongiform encephalopathy; what have been the results to date; and if he will make a statement; [24224]

Mrs. Browning: Certain residue testing has been carried out in pigs and chickens; no samples taken showed any residues above the action level. The testing for hormone residues has no relationship with BSE.

Private Finance Initiative

Ms Janet Anderson: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the revenue spending estimated by his Department in connection with the private finance initiative for (a) 1995-96, (b) 1996-97 and (c) 1997-98. [26622]

Mr. Boswell: The revenue spending estimated in connection with the private finance initiative is estimated at up to the following amounts:

1995-96: nil
1996-97: £1 million
1997-98: £5 million.

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Livestock Group Head

Mr. Redmond: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what measures his Department took in respect of the head of his Department's livestock group to ensure there was not a conflict of interest when he was appointed as a non-executive director of Lucas Ingredients; if he is still associated with that company; and if he will make a statement. [26690]

Mr. Boswell: The position of staff holding non-executive directorships or similar appointments is safeguarded by the general requirement binding on all civil servants that they must not take part in activities which might conflict with the interests of their Department, or impair their usefulness as public servants, or be inconsistent with their position as such.

Civil servants acting as directors remain subject to the Official Secrets Acts and the need to preserve the confidentiality of departmental business and information received in confidence from others. In relation to any particular appointment, individuals and their line managers must consider whether there is a present or potential conflict of interest and, if appropriate, an appointment may not be proceeded with, or restrictions may be placed on the kinds of discussion that the individual can take part in.

Where necessary, departmental checks would also be made to ensure that the prospective director is not in possession of commercially sensitive information relating to the company's competitors which might give rise to criticism. The company concerned has a right to expect the director to preserve the confidentiality of its corporate affairs.

The appointment of the head of the livestock group was made with due regard to these principles. The appointment has now lapsed and the person concerned no longer has any association with the company.

Chernobyl

Mr. Llew Smith: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what has been the total cost to the United Kingdom of the Chernobyl accident on 26 April 1986. [27096]

Mrs. Browning: The main economic effect to the United Kingdom of the Chernobyl accident has been on the UK sheep industry. The introduction of sheep controls on certain areas of upland grazing land contaminated by radioactive fallout from Chernobyl has been mitigated by the introduction of the sheep compensation scheme. This was introduced in July 1986 to compensate farmers whose enterprises had been disrupted as a consequence of the sheep controls. To date, more than £12 million has been paid to farmers who were affected. The compensation has been primarily to recompense farmers for the inconvenience of controls; payments for market losses have been comparatively small.

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