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Orange Parade
Mr. Mallon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many members of the Royal Ulster Constabulary are members of (i) the Orange Order and (ii) the Black Institution; and of these how many were on duty at Garvaghy road at any time during the period 6 July to 11 July. [1772]
Sir John Wheeler [holding answer 6 November 1996]: It is not known how many members of the RUC are members of the Orange Order or Black Institution.
RUC (Sick Leave)
Mr. Mallon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many members of the RUC were on sick leave in each week since 1 January. [1780]
12 Nov 1996 : Column: 192
Sir John Wheeler [holding answer 6 November 1996]: The information is not available in the form requested. However, it is possible to provide information which shows the average work days lost per member of the RUC in the first three quarters of 1996:
1 January 1996 to 31 March 1996: 3.24 days
1 April 1996 to 30 June 1996: 3.15 days
1 July 1996 to 30 September 1996: 3.61 days
Further Education Colleges
Mr. Worthington: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what estimates he has made of the sums to be spent in the current financial year, which will be contingent upon the Government gaining parliamentary consent to (a) the incorporation of the further education colleges, (b) education vouchers, and (c) its proposals on school boards. [2734]
Mr. Ancram [holding answer 11 November 1996]: Estimated expenditure contingent on parliamentary consent is:
- (a) Nil
(b) £23,000
RUC
Mr. Worthington: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to publish the RUC's fundamental review of policing; with whom he plans to discuss its findings; when decisions will be taken in respect of it, and by whom. [2736]
Sir John Wheeler [holding answer 6 November 1996]: It has been necessary to re-examine the fundamental review of policing to take account of the ending of the Provisional IRA ceasefire and the public order difficulties of the summer. Once that process is completed and the review's recommendations have been approved, I shall consult the Chief Constable and the Police Authority for Northern Ireland about when the main findings will be made public as a contribution to the wider public debate on policing. Decisions on the review will fall to the members of the tripartite structure; implementation of specific recommendations will depend upon the wider environment.
SOCIAL SECURITY
Lone Parents
8. Mr. Rowe: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he has to help lone parents into work. [1705]
Mr. Andrew Mitchell: Successive changes to the benefits system have helped over 200,000 lone parents to move off income support into work since 1992. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has recently announced that from April 1997, we will be piloting a major new scheme, parent plus, which will involve the private sector and initially help up to 100,000 lone parents on income support who wish to return to work.
12 Nov 1996 : Column: 193
Social Chapter
13. Mr. Booth: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what assessment he has made of the effect on his Department's budget of the introduction of the social chapter. [1710]
Mr. Lilley: Signing the social chapter would destroy jobs and so push up my Department's expenditure on benefits to the unemployed.
Benefit Fraud Hotline
14. Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many responses have been received by the benefits cheats hotline. [1711]
18. Mr. Jacques Arnold: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many calls have so far been received by the beat-a-cheat hotline. [1715]
22. Dr. Goodson-Wickes: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what responses he has had to the beat-a-cheat hotline. [1719]
Mr. Heald: Since the launch on 5 August 1996, the number of calls to the national benefit fraud hotline have exceeded 91,000 in the first 12 weeks.
Jobseeker's Allowance
16. Mr. Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what measures have been taken to monitor the effects of the new jobseeker's allowance. [1713]
Mr. Roger Evans: We have set in place an extensive programme of monitoring and evaluation, to enable us to ensure that the jobseeker's allowance is achieving its policy objectives.
State Pension
17. Mr. John Greenway: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what consultations he has had with the Government Actuary about the cost of paying the state pension from age 60 years; and if he will make a statement. [1714]
Mr. Heald: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Erith and Crayford (Mr. Evennett) earlier today.
Mr. Forman: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what representations he has received in favour of a state pension age starting at 60 years. [1695]
Mr. Heald: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State received one letter from the hon. Member for Peckham (Ms Harman) on 30 August advocating allowing people to claim state pension from age 60, but envisaging that the basic state pension would be reduced to offset the extra cost.
Mr. Harry Greenway: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement on the future of the basic state pension. [2181]
Mr. Heald: I refer the hon. Member to the oral reply I gave the hon. Member for Broxbourne (Mrs. Roe) today.
12 Nov 1996 : Column: 194
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security which countries of the EU pay state pensions at a lower rate than the United Kingdom. [1699]
Mr. Heald: Because of the diverse nature of pension state schemes within the European Union, it is not possible to make a meaningful comparison.
Child Benefit
20. Sir Fergus Montgomery: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement on the provision of child benefit. [1717]
Mr. Andrew Mitchell: We have a manifesto commitment to pay child benefit to all families in respect of all children, and we have honoured that pledge. We believe that all families with dependent children should receive some help from either the tax or the benefit system, a principle recognised throughout Europe.
Mr. Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security in respect of how many children new claims for child benefit were made in each of the past 15 years; how many child benefit claims were disallowed in each of the past 15 years; and what was the estimated take-up of child benefit in each of the past 15 years. [3390]
Mr. Mitchell: The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is in the table.
| (42) Take-up rate for children aged 1-15 | (43) Take-up rate for children under age 1 | |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 99.7 | 97.9 |
| 1982 | 99.6 | 97.5 |
| 1983 | 99.7 | 97.0 |
| 1984 | 99.7 | 98.3 |
| 1985 | 99.7 | 97.0 |
| 1986 | 99.5 | 97.8 |
| 1987 | 99.5 | 97.8 |
| 1988 | 99.3 | 96.6 |
| 1989 | 99.1 | 96.9 |
| 1990 | 98.9 | 97.5 |
| 1991 | 98.8 | 96.9 |
| 1992 | 98.9 | 96.1 |
| 1993 | 98.8 | 97.3 |
| 1994 | 98.7 | 95.1 |
(42) Rates calculated from population data, Office for National Statistics.
(43) Figures for children under age 1 reflect an average delay in claiming of six weeks and is not therefore inconsistent with the 1-15 take-up rate.
| Thousands | |
|---|---|
| Total of new claims for CHB in each year | |
| 1980 | 1,093 |
| 1981 | 968 |
| 1982 | 1,020 |
| 1983 | 1,009 |
| 1985 | 1,003 |
| 1986 | 1,022 |
| 1987 | 1,033 |
| 1988 | 1,041 |
| 1989 | 997 |
| 1990 | 1,062 |
| 1991 | 1,063 |
| 1992 | 1,025 |
| 1993 | 1,000 |
| 1994 | 992 |
| 1995 | 981 |
1. Data are not available for 1984 due to industrial action in that year.
2. The figures include claims made on the birth of a child, claims from families entering Great Britain and repeat claims following a period of disentitlement.
12 Nov 1996 : Column: 195
Reduced Earnings Allowance
23. Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many representations he has received during the past six months on the effects of the reduced earnings allowance; and if he will make a statement. [1720]
Mr. Roger Evans: A number of right hon. and hon. Members have written to Ministers since the amendments to regulations from 24 March which brought in fairer rules for the transfer of people on reduced earnings allowance to retirement allowance.
26. Mr. Wigley: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his latest estimate of the numbers of people who have lost entitlement to reduced earnings allowance as a result of changes to legislation. [1723]
Mr. Evans: The information is not available in the format requested. However, since the amendment regulations came into force from 24 March up to the end of September, approximately 21,000 over pensionable age reduced earnings allowance recipients who have given up regular employment have transferred to retirement allowance including both reviewed cases and those attaining pension age on or after 24 March.
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