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Research Councils
Mr. Ingram: To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to his answer of 29 April, Official Report, column 362, if he will give a breakdown of the allocation by project of the sums given to each research council for expenditure in Scotland. [29488]
Mr. Lang [holding answer 15 May 1996]: The information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
SOCIAL SECURITY
Disabled People
Mr. Win Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the changes that have been made to social security benefits for people with disabilities since 1986; and what estimates he has made of (a) the number of people whose income has (i) increased and (ii) decreased by each of these changes and (b) the amounts of money involved in each change. [25906]
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Mr. Burt [holding answer 30 April 1996]: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Member for Chelsea (Sir N. Scott) to the hon. Member for Bristol, East (Ms Corston) on 26 July 1993, Official Report, columns 715-16. Information is in the table on changes that have occurred to benefits for long-term sick and disabled people since July 1993.
| Start date | Benefit | Change |
|---|---|---|
| October 1993 | Disability Working allowance | Allowed for the introduction into DWA and family credit of payment of benefit in a single lump sum payment. |
| May 1994 | Invalidity Benefit and Severe Disablement Allowance | Claimants accepted as being incapable of work allowed to do unpaid voluntary work of less than 16 hours a week. |
| October 1994 | Severe Disablement Allowance | The upper age limit for claiming SDA and the requirement to continue to satisfy entitlement conditions, equalised at 65 for both men and women. |
| October 1994 | Disability Working Allowance | Introduction of child care allowance |
| April 1995 | Income Support: Disability Premium and Higher Pensioner Premium | Long-term incapacity benefit replaces invalidity benefit as an entry to disability premium and higher pensioner premiums |
| April 1995 | Severe Disablement Allowance | All new claims to SDA subject to the new incapacity for work test. |
| April 1995 | Severe Disablement Allowance | Rules amended which link periods of entitlement. |
| April 1995 | Incapacity Benefit | Sickness benefit and invalidity benefit replaced by incapacity benefit. |
| April 1995 | Disability Working Allowance | Introduction of disabled child's allowance, and access to DWA after period of training. |
| July 1995 | Disability Working Allowance | New 30-hours rule in DWA and family credit. |
| March 1996 | Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit | Clarification of entitlement to reduced earnings allowance and retirement allowance |
| April 1996 | Disability Working Allowance | Child care disregard raised |
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Council of Europe Meetings
Mr. Terry Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many meetings of, or organised by, the Council of Europe since January 1995 have been attended by Ministers or officials of his Department; and if he will make a statement. [29368]
Mr. Burt: My hon. and noble Friend the Minister of State--Lord Mackay of Ardbreknish--represented the United Kingdom at the Council of Europe's sixth conference of European Ministers of Social Security in May 1995, supported by Departmental officials. Since January 1995, officials have represented UK interests at five committee meetings, and a Benefits Agency medical adviser attended on three further occasions to serve on various expert groups.
State Earnings-related Pension Scheme
Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what has been the administrative cost each year of running SERPS. [29889]
Mr. Heald: The administrative cost of SERPS for each year is included in the estimated total cost of administering retirement pensions and is not identified separately. The figure for 1994-95, the latest year available, is £309 million. This includes the cost of order book encashments at post offices. Source: Social Security departmental report CM3213 March 1996.
PRIME MINISTER
Lockerbie
Mr. Dalyell: To ask the Prime Minister if he will discuss with Chancellor Kohl the letter to Mr. Mosey sent by Dr. Mossle on behalf of the Federated Ministry on 6 March about the place of loading of the explosives which caused the loss of Pan Am 103 over Lockerbie, a copy of which has been sent to him, and the related statement by the Frankfurt public prosecutor's office. [29825]
The Prime Minister: I have no plans to do so. The Frankfurt public prosecutor has indicated that he, rather than the German Government, has offered "no recognition" that the bomb was put on Pan Am 103 at Frankfurt.
We believe that this statement was based on the Frankfurt prosecutor's assessment of evidence available to him.
The Scottish petition warrants were based on the entirety of the evidence available to the investigating and prosecuting authorities.
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Mr. Spellar:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what are the latest figures for male unemployment (i) in the United Kingdom and (ii) in other member states. [29226]
Mrs. Angela Knight:
The statistical office of the European Community--SOEC--publishes comparable unemployment figures based on the internationally standard definition of unemployment recommended by International Labour Organisation. Information on rates of ILO unemployment in the European Union can be found in the SOEC's monthly unemployment bulletin, which is available in the House of Commons Library.
Mr. Llwyd:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many full-time staff were employed by the Inland Revenue on tax evasion investigations, and at what cost, in each of the last five years. [29594]
Mr. Jack:
I refer to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Darlington (Mr. Milburn) on 3 November 1995, Official Report, column 503. No later figures are available at this stage.
Mr. Llwyd:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many cases of evasion of payments of (a) income tax and (b) other tax have been discovered in each of the last five years; and what has been the value of the revenue recovered in both categories. [29592]
Mr. Jack:
I refer to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Darlington (Mr. Milburn) on 26 October 1995, official Report, columns 727-28. No later figures are available at this stage.
Mr. Llwyd:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many (a) full-time and (b) part-time staff have been employed by the Inland Revenue in Wales in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [29598]
Mr. Jack:
The number of staff employed by the Inland Revenue in Wales in each of the last five years was as follows:
| Position at | Full time | Part time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 April 1992 | 4,434 | 652 |
| 1 April 1993 | 4,244 | 660 |
| 1 April 1994 | 4,056 | 682 |
| 1 April 1995 | 3,847 | 668 |
| 1 April 1996 | 3,640 | 668 |
VAT (Tourism Services)
Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received over the last six months on the level of value added tax currently imposed by Her Majesty's Government on tourism services; and if he will make a statement. [29607]
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory: There have been a number of representations during the past six months to me and to my right hon. and learned Friend the Chancellor in
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support of a reduced rate of VAT for tourism services. There is, however, no compelling evidence that the level of VAT in the UK places tourism at a disadvantage.
Tax Complaints
Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the compensation awarded by the revenue adjudicator in each year since 1993 following complaints; and if he will make a statement. [29599]
Mr. Jack: The table gives details of the number of cases in the three years to 31 March 1996 in which the adjudicator has recommended that the Inland Revenue pays compensation.
| Year | Number of cases | Compensation £ | Greatest amount £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993-94 | 29 | 24,379 | 10,397 |
| 1994-95 | 80 | 36,000 | 7,016 |
| 1995-96 | 85 | 89,098 | 22,429 |
The 85 cases in 1995-96 include those where the adjudicator made a recommendation in principle that compensation should be paid, but where the actual costs to be compensated have not yet been fully quantified. As a result, the figure for the total amount of compensation for that year will increase when the cases are finally settled.
Mr. Llwyd:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how often the revenue adjudicator meets senior Inland Revenue managers to discuss performance and recommendations; and if he will make a statement. [29593]
Mr. Jack:
The adjudicator has formal meetings with senior Inland Revenue managers monthly to discuss her work and issues arising from it. She and her staff have also spoken at many Inland Revenue seminars and conferences over the past three years. She sends senior Inland Revenue managers detailed quarterly reports and monthly statistical reports about her findings, and she publishes an annual report.
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