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Income Support

Mr. Gapes: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate the cost in relation to income support of pensioners of reducing the assumed income from savings of between £3,000 and £8,000 to £1 per week per £1,000. [28898]

Mr. Roger Evans [holding answer 13 May 1996]: The estimated annual cost in 1996-97 is £60 million. Notes:


Mr. Gapes: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate the cost of bringing the savings allowance for income support for pensioners into line with those for housing benefit and council tax benefit, and of setting the assumed income from savings above £3,000 to £1 per week per £1,000 for (a) income support for pensioners, (b) housing benefit for pensioners and (c) council tax benefit for pensioners. [28899]

Mr. Evans [holding answer 13 May 1996]: The lower and upper capital limits which apply in the calculation of income support are currently £3,000 and £8,000 respectively, and £3,000 and £16,000 in housing benefit and council tax benefit. For people living permanently in residential care or nursing homes, the lower and upper capital limits are £10,000 and £16,000 respectively in income support and housing benefit--from April 1996.

The estimated annual cost in 1996-97 of raising the upper capital limit in income support to £16,000 and reducing the assumed income from savings above £3,000 to £1 per week per £1,000 for pensioners on (a) income support is £220 million, (b) housing benefit is £140 million, and (c) council tax benefit is £80 million. Notes:


Mortgage Interest

Mr. Ainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many representations he has received on his changes to the payment of mortgage interest for claimants. [19706]

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Mr. Roger Evans [pursuant to his reply, 19 March 1996, c. 162]: Unfortunately, there was an error in my oral reply. The correct reply is as follows:

Our intention was that the system of add back should protect the benefit entitlement of existing claimants at the point of change when the standard rate was introduced in October last year. It was never our intention that add-back should provide permanent protection. Where Mr. Tickle's case is concerned I have caused further inquires to be made. I am told that he has a mortgage that is fixed up to a certain level and then variable above that level. It also appears that the system of add back is working as we intended. It provided Mr. Tickle with complete protection at the point of change, and is continuing to provide some protection.

Child Benefit

Mr. Steinberg: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many children aged (a) 16, (b) 17, (c) 18 and (d) 19 years in receipt of child benefit attend (i) school, (ii) sixth form college, (iii) tertiary college, (iv) further education college and (v) the youth training scheme. [30139]

Mr. Burt [holding answer 20 May 1996]: The information is not available in the format requested. Child benefit data are not available on the nature of the education being undertaken, and education data have no regard to the receipt or otherwise of child benefit. The figures are therefore not directly comparable. However, child benefit is not payable for any young person undergoing a youth training course, and all entitlement ceases at the 19th birthday. Available data on the number of 16, 17 and 18-year-olds for whom child benefit is paid, and the number in education and training, are in the tables:


WALES

Abattoirs (Rendering)

Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what representations he has received on the rendering capacity available to Welsh abattoirs; and if he will make a statement. [29608]

Mr. Gwilym Jones: My right hon. Friend and I have been closely monitoring the rendering provision for Wales and have listened carefully to the many representations from hon. Members, the farming unions, abattoirs and individuals.

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We have strongly put the case for appropriate provision for Wales and officials are in constant contact with the Intervention Board which is operating the scheme.

Market Testing

Mr. Redmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list, for each of his Department's agencies, what market testing has been carried out into the services it provides and what were the results. [30128]

Mr. Hague: Cadw--Welsh Historic Monuments--has market tested the provision of its conservation repair service. The in-house bid was successful.

Alcohol Abuse

Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what representations he has received from voluntary bodies working in the anti-alcohol abuse field concerning the level of funding to Alcohol Action Wales in the year 1996-97; and which successor bodies he has nominated to provide continuation of anti-alcohol abuse advice.[30502]

Mr. Hague: I have received two representations from voluntary bodies expressing concern at the decision not to fund Alcohol Action Wales this year. The Welsh drug and alcohol unit will provide expert advice and practical support to the Welsh Office, health and local authorities and other statutory and voluntary bodies that are involved in tackling drug and alcohol misuse.

Welsh Health Common Services Authority

Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the total expenditure on consultants in connection with the market testing of the materials management service, the contracts unit and the prescription pricing division of the Welsh Health Common Services Authority. [30503]

Mr. Hague: Some £176,190 for materials management and contracting which was a joint exercise and £120,609 for prescription services. In addition, £15,736 has been paid for legal advice to the authority covering these and other activities included in the market-testing exercises.

Inward Investment Project Broadcast

Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will set up an inquiry into the premature disclosure of the major inward investment project broadcast by the BBC on Friday 10 May. [30695]

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Mr. Hague: I have already looked into the matter and do not believe that the source of any information was the Welsh Office or its executive agencies. Further speculation and publicity would not be in the best interests of Wales.

NATIONAL HERITAGE

Performing Arts (Young Offenders)

Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what assessment she has made of the value of performing arts programmes for the rehabilitation of young offenders. [28696]

Mr. Sproat: This is a matter for the Prison Service and the Arts Council of England which decides its own funding policy.

National Lottery

Mr. Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage (1) what has been (a) the number and (b) the amount of national lottery grants awarded by each of the national lottery boards in each English county, metropolitan authority and London borough; [29055]

    (2) what has been (a) the number and (b) the amount of national lottery grants awarded by each of the national lottery boards in each parliamentary constituency; [29053]

    (3) how many applications there have been to each of the five national lottery boards from each parliamentary constituency; [29052]

    (4) how many applications have been made to each of the five national lottery boards by each English county, metropolitan authority and London borough. [29054]

Mr. Sproat: The information requested is not available. The Department of National Heritage is developing a new lottery database that will allow for these breakdowns to be made.

Mr. Rowe: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if she will list the projects so far accepted for funding by the millennium fund (a) by value and (b) by local authority area. [29284]

Mr. Sproat: The Millennium Commission has made 55 awards totalling £494,033,411. These awards cover a total of 1,145 projects throughout the United Kingdom. The information is contained in the table.

Figures for national lottery funds broken down by local authority areas are not currently available. The Department of National Heritage is developing a new lottery database that will shortly allow for these breakdowns to be made.

22 May 1996 : Column: 291

AnnouncedRecipientRegionLocationAmount £
30 October 1995Tate Gallery of Modern ArtLondonSouthwark50,000,000.00
2 October 1995The Earth CentreY & HConisbrough50,000,000.00
23 February 1996Millennium Stadium: S Glamorgan County Council/Welsh Rugby UnionWalesCardiff46,000,000.00
11 September 1995Sustrans: National Cycle NetworkUK WideUK Wide42,500,000.00
2 October 1995The Renaissance of Portsmouth HarbourSEPortsmouth & Gosport40,000,000.00
1 March 1996British Museum: Great CourtLondonLondon30,000,000.00
15 December 1995Queen's Park Football ClubScotlandHampden Park, Glasgow23,000,00.00
11 September 1995Changing Places: The Groundwork Foundation (21 projects)UK WideUK Wide22,100,000.00
23 February 1996Middleton Botanic Garden TrustWalesMiddleton, Llandello, Dyfed21,700,000.00
22 December 1995Millennium Seed Bank: Royal Botanic GardensLondonKew21,547,500.00
22 February 1996The Lowry CentreNWSalford, Greater Manchester15,650,000.00
22 December 1995Llanelli Borough Council: Llanelli Coast ParkWalesLlanelli14,500,000.00
22 February 1996Mile End ParkLondonTower Hamlets12,322,010.00
30 October 1995Rochdale Canal TrustNWManchester to Halifax11,923,500.00
26 April 199621st Century Halls: ACRE-Action with Communities in Rural England (180 projects)All EnglandAll England10,000,000.00
26 April 1996Millennium Greens: Countryside Commission-- 250 projectsAll EnglandAll England10,000,000.00
30 October 1995National Museums of Scotland: SCRANSScotlandEdinburgh7,474,200.00
30 October 1995The Woodland Trust: Woods On Your Doorstep (200 projects)UK WideUK: England and Wales6,637,000.00
2 October 1995Millennium Forest for Scotland (45 projects)Scotlandn/a5,750,000.00
22 February 1996Peterborough Green WheelEPeterborough, Cambs.5,554,881.00
2 October 1995Trans Pennine TrailUK WideUK Wide5,330,000.00
22 December 1995Durham County Council: Turning the TideNEEastingdon/Horden4,537,760.00
2 October 1995Welsh Highland Railway RestorationWalesPorthmadog, Gwynedd4,300,000.00
30 October 1995Black Country Urban ForestWMSandwell, Walsall, Dudley and Wolverhampton4,247,540.00
30 October 1995Pickaquoy ProjectScotlandKirkwall, Orkney3,700,000.00
22 December 1995Wildfowl and Wetlands TrustSWSlimbridge, Glos.2,810,195.00
18 December 1995Belfast 2000N IrelandBelfast2,640,900.00
18 December 1995St. Patrick Visitor CentreN IrelandDownpatrick2,551,775.00
26 April 1996Church Floodlighting: Church Floodlighting Trust-- 400 projectsUK WideUK Wide2,288,788.00
2 October 1995London Zoo Conservation Education CentreLondonRegent's Park2,200,000.00
26 April 1996Kingdom of Fife Cycling Initiative: Fife EnterpriseScotlandFife1,793,450.00
20 November 1995National Wildflower CentreMerseysideLiverpool1,668,500.00
26 April 1996Weather Watch Discovery CentreSEBracknell Forest Borough Council1,500,000.00
11 September 1995Countryside Access for All/Northamptonshire County CouncilEMNorthants.736,000.00
22 December 1995Pensilva Village HallSWCornwall713,000.00
18 December 1995Giant's Causeway and Bushmills RailwayN IrelandNorth Antrim Coast700,000.00
20 November 1995Clonoe Community Centre, CoalislandN IrelandCo. Tyrone613,000.00
30 October 1995Thames Salmon TrustSEBerkshire: The River Kennet588,000.00
11 September 1995Agnew Park Seafront Development/Wigtown District CouncilScotlandStranraer547,000.00
2 October 1995The Courtyard Community ProjectY & HGoole462,000.00
11 September 1995The Visions CentreNWManchester435,000.00
2 October 1995Restoration of the Glan-Llyn Youth CentreWalesGwynedd390,282.00
26 April 1996The Millennium Centre, Eastbrookend ParkLondonLondon Borough of Barking & Dagenham360,000.00
18 December 1995Enterprise LeisureN IrelandTrillick350,000.00
11 September 1995Bennachie Community Centre, InschScotlandGrampian311,000.00
22 December 1995Wokingham District Council: Millennium BridgeSEWargrave280,000.00
22 February 1996St. Martha's Community ProjectEMNottingham243,600.00
2 October 1995Meanwood Valley Urban FarmY & HLeeds175,000.00
11 September 1995New Lock at Great Cornrad: River Stour TrustESuffolk167,890.00
22 February 1996Grayswood Village HallSEGrayswood, Surrey150,000.00
22 December 1995Ingleton and District Village HallNEIngleton, Co. Durham150,000.00
20 November 1995Church Community HallWalesSully, S. Wales146,500.00
2 October 1995Lawrenny Village Hall and Youth HostelWalesDyfed131,170.00
20 November 1995Moulsoe Millennium HallSEBucks.126,000.00
2 October 1995Larne Borough Council: The Gobbins Cliff Path (feasibility study)Co. AntrimN Ireland30,000.00
Total494,033,441.00

55 awards, 1,145 projects


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22 May 1996 : Column: 293

Mr. Renton: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage how many charities have been awarded funds from the national lottery. [28880]

Mr. Sproat [holding answer 20 May 1996]: As at 15 May, 6,685 awards have been made, totalling over £1.54 billion. More than 80 per cent. of these grants have gone to charities or voluntary organisations and account for around half of all the money awarded.

The National Lottery Charities Board is distributing 20 per cent. of the proceeds of the national lottery exclusively to projects proposed not only by registered charities but by voluntary organisations and organisations

22 May 1996 : Column: 294

with a philanthropic aim. The board has made 2,460 grant awards, totalling £159 million, to charitable organisations both large and small.


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