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Benefits Agency (Emergency Services)

Mr. Hinchliffe: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list for each of the last five years and for each Benefits Agency office the cost of operating the out-of-hours service. [1431]

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. David Hinchliffe, dated 6 November 1996:











Incapacity Benefit

Mr. Alfred Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many incapacity benefit claimants have been found to be fit for work by the all-work test since its introduction; how many such claimants have since claimed benefits as being unemployed and seeking work; and how many have obtained employment. [1406]

7 Nov 1996 : Column: 693

Mr. Burt: Up to the end of September 1996, around 178,000 incapacity benefit claimants had been found capable of work following the all-work test. A total of 73,000 claimed unemployment benefits. A total of 47,000 have since left the register and around 10,000 were placed in employment or on training schemes by the Employment Service.

Information Technology Projects

Ms Church: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many information technology projects have been undertaken since 1992, and are planned for the coming year, arranged in cost bands of £1,000,000. [1916]

Mr. Burt: The information is not available in the format requested and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Compensation Recovery

Mr. Hinchliffe: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement on proposals to reform regulations governing compensation recovery; if there will still be a threshold for compensation payments below which recovery will not take place; if he will review cases affected by current rules backdated to 1990; how he will ensure that compensation components for pain and distress are properly identified; and when he intends to bring forward the proposed legislation. [1549]

Mr. Roger Evans [holding answer 5 November 1996]: We have introduced a Bill into the House of Lords today to reform the compensation recovery scheme. We propose that, from October 1997, the compensator will become liable for the repayment of all benefits paid as a consequence of the accident, injury or disease. The compensator will be permitted to reduce relevant damages where a corresponding benefit is repaid to the Department. Damages for pain and suffering will not be reducible. We plan that the new rules should apply to all compensation claims determined on or after the point of change. The present small payments limit of £2,500 below which recoupment does not take place, will be removed. There will be no entitlement to reopen cases determined before the point of change.

WALES

Public Transport

Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what initiatives are being pursued and how much funding is available to promote increased use of public transport; and if he will make a statement. [1866]

Mr. Gwilym Jones: Local authorities have been given powers to promote public transport in their areas. Including concessionary fares schemes, this support is estimated at some £18 million in 1995-96. In addition, assistance is available to local authorities for major projects, as well as through the capital challenge scheme, the strategic development scheme and the bus priority scheme. This support includes more than £8 million over the three years from 1996-97 to improve rail links between Cardiff and the valleys.

7 Nov 1996 : Column: 694

Drug Action Team

Mr. Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what action he is taking to encourage the formation of a regional drug action team in north Wales. [1929]

Mr. Gwilym Jones: My right hon. Friend issued "Forward Together-A Strategy to Combat Drug and Alcohol Misuse in Wales" in May 1996. In it, he asked all those organisations which have a part to play in combating drug and alcohol abuse to come together to form drug and alcohol action teams in each of the five new health authority areas; to submit local strategies and plans to him by December 1996; and to implement them from April 1997.

Nursery Voucher Road Show

Mr. Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what will be the total cost of the nursery education voucher road show to his Department; [1490]

Mr. Jonathan Evans: My right hon. Friend and I are determined that the voucher scheme will be implemented in Wales as smoothly and efficiently as possible. It is important that providers of nursery education in the maintained, private and voluntary sectors have full information about the detailed operation of the scheme. To that end, the Welsh Office is proposing to hold a number of factual information seminars and is currently assessing demand among private and voluntary nurseries and playgroups for seminars in Cardiff, Swansea, Carmarthen, Llandudno, Wrexham and Llandrindod Wells. So far, over 360 organisations have said they want to attend. The cost of the seminars is expected to be between £2,000 and £3,000, depending on numbers and locations.

Local education authorities were invited to consider holding joint LEA/Welsh Office seminars for schools, but have declined, many, I understand, making separate arrangements to brief their schools.

Dentists

Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent initiatives he has taken to assist the recruitment of dentists to rural areas in Wales; and if he will make a statement. [1750]

Mr. Gwilym Jones: The £3 million initiative, announced in September last year, enabled Welsh health authorities to offer grants to attract new dentists, into those parts of Wales where they are most needed, and to expand the community dental service.

The initiative has been very successful. Just under £2 million has been offered as grants for 56 new dentists. Twenty-seven of them are already in place and another 14 should be operational by January 1997. Grants of £25,000 are still available to attract new dentists to certain part of mid, west, and north, Wales.

7 Nov 1996 : Column: 695

Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State foe Wales (1) how many NHS dental practitioners there were in Wales in (a) each year since 1990 and (b) at present; and if he will make a statement; [1853]

Mr. Gwilym Jones: The available information is given in the following table.

Number of general dental practitioners treating at least some NHS patients(35)

1989199019911992199319941995
Clwyd108111105102114117125
Dyfed9698101104104105101
Gwent123125139135135138143
Gwynedd66696566676665
Mid Glamorgan135134123134126125129
Powys34343635343335
South Glamorgan132131129127133133145
West Glamorgan133135134128130132133
Wales827837832831843849876

(35) At 30 September.

1996(36)
Bro Taf216
Dyfed Powys136
Gwent158
Morgannwg170
North Wales183
Wales863

(36) At 30 June.

Railways

Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what evaluation his Department has carried out of the effect of the imposition of a minimum passenger requirement as currently stated on the north Wales to Crewe train services; and if he will make a statement. [1862]

Mr. Gwilym Jones: I am sure that passengers will welcome the availability for the first time of contractual guarantees of minimum service levels.

Mr. Barry Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what are his Department's responsibilities in respect of (a) Regional Railways and (b) InterCity West Coast in respect of (i) overcrowding, (ii) punctuality and (iii) reliability; and if he will make a statement. [2260]

Mr. Gwilym Jones: These are matters for the Franchising Director, who sets specifications and places requirements on the train operators through the passenger service requirements and franchise agreements.

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