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Cash Limits

Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what changes she plans to make to cash limits and running cost limits on votes within her responsibility for 1996-97. [2626]

Mr. Robin Squire: Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary supplementary estimate, the cash limit for class IX, vote 1, Department for Education and Employment: programmes and central services, will be amended as follows:


The cash limit for class IX, vote 1 will be increased by £197,000 from £8,744,945,000 to £8,745,142,000. The cash limit increase is the net effect of the following: take- up of entitlements announced by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on 12 July 1996, Official Report, columns 326-31, under the end-year flexibility schemes for capital expenditure (£2,189,000) and EU structural funds (£177,283,000--offset by receipts from the EU and increased appropriations in aid). We have also funded a £300,000 increase in specialist schools expenditure from our non-voted provision. Transfers to other Departments include £263,000 to the Department of Health for the drugs challenge fund; £2,000,000 to the Home Office for school security measures; £67,000 to the Department of the Environment as a contribution towards the Manchester bomb appeal; and £90,000 to the Office for National Statistics to provide funding for staff moved under machinery of Government changes. These transfers to other Departments have been partially offset by a transfer of £128,000 from the Home Office to fund the costs of probation service training.

The running costs provision for class IX, vote 1 will be increased by £558,000 from £366,705,000 to £367,263,000. This is the net effect of the transfer of £648,000 from the Department of Trade and Industry towards work done on an agency basis by the Department for Education and Employment, offset by the transfer to the Office for National Statistics of £90,000.

The increase will be offset by savings or charged to the reserve and will not, therefore, add to the planned total of public expenditure.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Community Care

Ms Mowlam: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many community care assessments have been carried out since 1 April 1992. [1102]

Mr. Moss: The new community care assessment arrangements came into operation on 1 April 1993. In the period since, up to 30 June 1996, a total of 24,983 assessments have been carried out.

4 Nov 1996 : Column: 381

Carers

Ms Mowlam: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many carers assessments have been carried out since 1 April following guidance relating to the Carers (Recognition and Services) Act 1995 in Northern Ireland. [1103]

Mr. Moss: Statistics relating to cases where individual carers have requested a separate assessment of their needs are not collected centrally.

Ms Mowlam: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps are being taken to monitor the implementation of the guidance issued relating to the Carers (Recognition and Services) Act 1995 in Northern Ireland. [1107]

Mr. Moss: Health and social services boards were directed by the Department to offer carers a separate assessment of their own needs if so requested, as elsewhere in the UK, from 1 April 1996. This requirement was reinforced by its inclusion in "Regional Strategy for Health and Wellbeing 1997-2002". The Department will monitor the implementation of the guidance as part of the overall strategy monitoring arrangements.

Public Relations

Mrs. Roche: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much his Department spent on (a) advertising, (b) public relations and (c) entertainment in each of the last five financial years. [1264]

Sir John Wheeler: The information requested for the Northern Ireland Office and Northern Ireland Departments is listed.

£000

AdvertisingPublic relationsEntertainment(18)
1991-9210,5871,660807
1992-939,5621,724872
1993-948,1051,898921
1994-958,3201,969832
1995-9610,9452,087587

(18) Entertainment has been defined as Official Hospitality.

Female Staff

Mrs. Roche: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many women are currently employed by his Department; and what proportion this is of the total. [1247]

Sir John Wheeler: The information requested is contained in the table:

Total number of staffTotal number of female staffFemale staff as percentage of all staff
Non-industrial staff23,68312,37152.2
Industrial staff3,581772.2
All staff27,26412,44845.7

The table shows the position as at 29 October 1996.

4 Nov 1996 : Column: 382

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

Lenient Sentences (Appeals)

Mr. Ainger: To ask the Attorney-General how many requests to appeal against the leniency of sentences he has received this year; how many he has supported; and how many sentences have been increased as a result. [269]

The Attorney-General: During 1996 the Law Officers have considered the sentences imposed upon 115 defendants. Forty-nine of these cases have been referred to the Court of Appeal. In relation to the 42 cases which have been heard to date, the sentence has been increased in 32, or 76 per cent.

SOCIAL SECURITY

Incapacity Benefit

Mr. Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was his Department's estimate at the time of its introduction for the reduction in claims for incapacity benefit which would result from the introduction of the all work test; and what was the reduction of claims finally realised for each year since 1995. [756]

Mr. Burt: No estimate was made of the effect of the all work test on new claims for incapacity benefit. In 1995-96 there was a reduction in new incapacity benefit claims of around 100,000 over the previous year.

Benefits Agency

Mr. Tony Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what are his plans for the future of Great Ancoats street Benefits Agency office. [1958]

Mr. Roger Evans: This is a matter for Peter Mathison, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member.

Letter from Peter Mathison to Mr. Tony Lloyd, dated 1 November 1996:


4 Nov 1996 : Column: 383

Payments Backdating

Mr. Hinchliffe: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he has to amend the regulations governing backdating of social security payments; and if he will make a statement. [180]

Mr. Roger Evans: We are reviewing the provisions on the backdating of benefits and will announce any change in due course.

Cold Weather Payments

Mr. Hinchliffe: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the weather stations used for the purposes of cold weather payments. [181]

Mr. Roger Evans: The information is as follows:


4 Nov 1996 : Column: 384

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