House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 26 Jun 1996 (pt 17)

Contracts

Mrs. Roche: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list (a) the average value of contracts awarded by his Department, (b) the value of (i) the

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smallest and (ii) the largest contract awarded, (c) the number of contracts with a value of (1) £0 to £999, (2) £1,000 to £9,999, (3) £10,000 to £49,999, (4) £50,000 to £99,999, (5) £100,000 to £499,999, (6) £500,000 to £999,999 and (7) above £1,000,000 and (d) the total number of contracts awarded in 1995-96. [34137]

Mr. Burt: The information is not available.

Income Support

Mr. Hain: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people claim income support; and what proportion of them are over state retirement age. [34158]

Mr. Roger Evans: As at August 1995, there were 5,751,000 income support claimants, of whom 27.6 per cent. were over state retirement age.

Compliance Cost Assessments

Mrs. Roche: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what proposals he has to ensure that each legislative measure put forward by his Department contains a compliance cost assessment (a) relating to small firms and (b) in respect of which small firms have been consulted. [34136]

Mr. Burt: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to her by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.

Benefit Claimants (Transfers)

Mr. Hain: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list those provisions of social security legislation which have transferred claimant groups from one benefit to another since 1979; and if he will give approximate numbers of affected claimants. [34486]

Mr. Burt: The main legislative provisions which have resulted in the transfer of recipients from one benefit to another are listed in the table, together with such information as is available regarding the numbers affected.

Legislation Effect Approximate numbers affected at point of change

Housing Benefits Regulations 1982 Claimants in receipt of supplementary benefit including rent costs were transferred to housing benefits: rent rebate, rate rebate and/or rent allowance Not available

Social Security (Severe Disablement Allowance) Regulations 1984 Claimants in receipt of non-contributory invalidity pension and housewives non-contributory invalidity pension were transferred to severe disablement allowance 250,000

s.20 of the Social Security Act 1986 Claimants in receipt of supplementary benefit were transferred to income support (32)4.4 million

paras. 5 and 6 of Schedule 3 to the Social Security Act 1986 Claimants in receipt of special hardship allowance were transferred to reduced earnings allowance 150,000

Family Credit (General) Regulations 1987 Claimants in receipt of family income supplement were transferred to family credit 200,000

Housing Benefit (General) Regulations 1987 Claimants in receipt of pre-1988 housing benefits were transferred to housing benefit (32)4 million

Income Support (General) Amendment Regulations 1987, Family Credit (General) Regulations 1987 Claimants in receipt of supplementary benefit who were working for between 24 and 30 hours per week became eligible to claim family credit Not available

s.2 of the Social Security Act 1988, para. 8 of Schedule 1 to the Social Security Act 1989, Social Security (Industrial Injuries and Diseases) (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 1996 Claimants in receipt of reduced earnings allowance over pensionable age were transferred to retirement allowance 32,000 to date, 2,000 to be reviewed

Social Security (Introduction of Disability Living Allowance) Regulations 1991 Claimants in receipt of attendance allowance under the age of 65 were transferred to disability living allowance (care component) (31)340,000

Social Security (Introduction to Disability Living Allowance) Regulations 1991 Claimants in receipt of mobility allowance were transferred to disability living allowance (mobility component) (31)700,000

Income Support (General) Amendment Regulations 1991, Family Credit (General) Amendment Regulations 1991 Claimants in receipt of income support who were working for between 16 and 24 hours per week became eligible to claim family credit Not available

Council Tax (General) Regulations 1992 Council tax benefit introduced to replace community charge benefit (32)5.5 million

Social Security (Incapacity Benefit) (Transitional) Regulations 1995 Claimants in receipt of sickness and invalidity benefits were transferred to incapacity benefit 1.9 million

s.40(2) of the Jobseekers Act 1995 Claimants in receipt of unemployment benefit and/or income support for the unemployed will be transferred to jobseeker's allowance from 7 October 1996 Numbers will depend on actual numbers claiming

Legislation	Effect	Approximate numbers affected at point of change
Housing Benefits Regulations 1982	Claimants in receipt of supplementary benefit including rent costs were transferred to housing benefits: rent rebate, rate rebate and/or rent allowance	Not available
Social Security (Severe Disablement Allowance) Regulations 1984	Claimants in receipt of non-contributory invalidity pension and housewives non-contributory invalidity pension were transferred to severe disablement allowance	250,000
s.20 of the Social Security Act 1986	Claimants in receipt of supplementary benefit were transferred to income support	(32)4.4 million
paras. 5 and 6 of Schedule 3 to the Social Security Act 1986	Claimants in receipt of special hardship allowance were transferred to reduced earnings allowance	150,000
Family Credit (General) Regulations 1987	Claimants in receipt of family income supplement were transferred to family credit	200,000
Housing Benefit (General) Regulations 1987	Claimants in receipt of pre-1988 housing benefits were transferred to housing benefit	(32)4 million
Income Support (General) Amendment Regulations 1987, Family Credit (General) Regulations 1987	Claimants in receipt of supplementary benefit who were working for between 24 and 30 hours per week became eligible to claim family credit	Not available
s.2 of the Social Security Act 1988, para. 8 of Schedule 1 to the Social Security Act 1989, Social Security (Industrial Injuries and Diseases) (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 1996	Claimants in receipt of reduced earnings allowance over pensionable age were transferred to retirement allowance	32,000 to date, 2,000 to be reviewed
Social Security (Introduction of Disability Living Allowance) Regulations 1991	Claimants in receipt of attendance allowance under the age of 65 were transferred to disability living allowance (care component)	(31)340,000
Social Security (Introduction to Disability Living Allowance) Regulations 1991	Claimants in receipt of mobility allowance were transferred to disability living allowance (mobility component)	(31)700,000
Income Support (General) Amendment Regulations 1991, Family Credit (General) Amendment Regulations 1991	Claimants in receipt of income support who were working for between 16 and 24 hours per week became eligible to claim family credit	Not available
Council Tax (General) Regulations 1992	Council tax benefit introduced to replace community charge benefit	(32)5.5 million
Social Security (Incapacity Benefit) (Transitional) Regulations 1995	Claimants in receipt of sickness and invalidity benefits were transferred to incapacity benefit	1.9 million
s.40(2) of the Jobseekers Act 1995	Claimants in receipt of unemployment benefit and/or income support for the unemployed will be transferred to jobseeker's allowance from 7 October 1996	Numbers will depend on actual numbers claiming

(31) Claimants who received both attendance allowance and mobility allowance are included in both figures; the total number of people affected is not available.

(32) Figures based on numbers claiming before and after change; actual number of transfers may be lower.

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Male Earnings Mobility

Mrs. Roe: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he intends to publish the paper on male earnings mobility to which he referred in his recent speech on welfare reform and Christian values at Southwark cathedral. [34938]

Mr. Lilley: The paper on male earnings mobility in the lifetime labour market database will be published today, and copies of the paper will be placed in the Library. The study follows a sample of men aged between 25 and 44 in 1978, over a 15-year period. It provides a valuable addition to our understanding of how people's work status and earnings change over time and confirms that an interpretation of statistics on the distribution of income and earnings that suggest those at the bottom have become worse off, is too simplistic.

The men in this study have not, in general, stayed in the same position for 15 years. Many have moved both into and out of work and the great majority of earners saw real increases in their earnings over the period.

Child Support (Benefits)

Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many reduced benefit directions have been imposed in each year since the introduction of the Child Support Agency; and how many reduced benefit directions have been issued in the current year to date. [34463]

Mr. Andrew Mitchell: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the chief executive, Miss Ann Chant. She will write to the hon. Member.

Letter from Miss Ann Chant to Mr. Frank Field, dated 25 June 1996:

In the absence of Miss Chant, the Chief Executive, I am replying to your Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security about Child Support Agency.

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During 1995-96 27,478 reduced benefit directions were imposed. No information is available prior to this. In the current year 1,091 reduced benefit directions have been imposed during April 1996.
Figures on the number of reduced benefit directions imposed are included in the CSA Statistical Information placed in the Library of the House of Commons.
I hope this is helpful.

LORD PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL

Health and Safety

Mr. Ian McCartney: To ask the Lord President of the Council what was the cost in each of the past five years of rectifying working conditions that were the responsibility of his Department and its agencies, to bring them up to acceptable health and safety standards, detailing incidents involving information technology and those involving expenditure of more than £5,000. [33459]

Mr. Newton: Working conditions within the Privy Council office over the past five years have not at any time fallen below acceptable health and safety standards, although the maintenance of such standards is an important management priority and resources are directed to that end as necessary. I am not responsible for any agencies.

Mr. McCartney: To ask the Lord President of the Council how many (a) minor, (b) major and (c) fatal injuries have been suffered by staff in his Department and its agencies in work-related incidents in each of the past five years, showing in each year how many were related to information technology and giving details of all incidents involving fatalities. [33457]

Mr. Newton: None. I am not responsible for any agencies.