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Housing Benefit
25. Mr. Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the expenditure on housing benefit in (a) 1985-86 and (b) 1995-96; and what was the real terms change over that period. [6896]
Mr. Roger Evans: In 1995-96 prices, expenditure on housing benefit was £5,054 billion for 1985-86 and £10.848 billion for 1995-96. The real terms increase over the period was just under 115 per cent. Overall Government subsidies to housing during the 1990s have remained more or less stable in real terms.
Dr. Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if the planned restrictions on housing benefit payments to private deregulated tenants will apply to tenants of properties managed under the housing associations as management agents scheme. [7243]
Mr. Roger Evans: Yes. However, claimants exempted from the local reference rent and single room rent rules would not be affected by the proposed restrictions.
Dr. Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what consultations his Department had with representatives of private landlords prior to his announcement of proposed restrictions on housing benefit payments to tenants of private deregulated properties. [7244]
Mr. Roger Evans: The Government receive from time to time representations on all aspects of Social Security matters. The recent announcement of the proposed changes to restrict housing benefit has been referred to the Social Security Advisory Committee for its consideration. These proposed changes will also be the subject of consultation with the local authority associations. Representatives of private landlords, as well as others with an interest in these proposals will have ample opportunity to make their views known. The Government will consider carefully all representations before taking final decisions.
10 Dec 1996 : Column: 180
Reduced Earnings Allowances
27. Mr. Rowlands: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his latest estimate of the amounts saved by the withdrawal of the reduced earnings allowances; and how many people have lost their allowances. [6871]
Mr. Roger Evans: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I have him on 14 October, Official Report, column 775 and to the answer I gave to the hon. member for Caernarfon (Mr. Wigley) on 12 November, Official Report, column 195.
28. Mr. Stephen: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate the additional cost to public funds of linking pensions to earnings since 1980. [6872]
29. Mr. Richards: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what representations he has received in respect of uprating pensions in line with prices rather than earnings. [6873]
Mr Heald: I refer my hon. Friends to the answer I gave earlier today to my hon. Friend the Member for Rydale (Mr. Greenway).
Asylum Seekers
Mr. Gapes: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he has to reimburse local authorities for additional costs incurred as a result of changes to regulations concerning asylum seekers. [6866]
Mr. Roger Evans: The Government intend, subject to parliamentary approval, to make funds available through a special grant to meet reasonable costs incurred by local authorities who are supporting asylum seekers under the National Assistance Act 1948.
Regulations
Mr. Alan Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many regulations he referred to the Social Security Advisory Committee in (a) 1993-94, (b) 1994-95, (c) 1995-96 and (d) 1996 to date; and in how many of these references he followed the committee's recommendations in full. [6725]
Mr. Burt: When the Social Security Advisory Committee exercises its powers under the Social Security Administration Act 1992 to have proposals for regulations formally referred, its report is published as a command paper, which includes the Secretary of State's response to the committee's recommendations. Copies of the reports are available in the Library. Since April 1993 reports have been published on the following regulations:
| Title | Command paper number | Date of publication |
|---|---|---|
| The Income Support (General) Amendment No. 3 Regulations 1993 | Cm 2272 | July 1993 |
| The Social Security Benefit (Persons from Abroad) Amendment Regulations 1994 | Cm 2450 | February 1994 |
| The Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit (Amendment) Regulations 1994 | Cm 2483 | March 1994 |
| The Income Support (General) Amendment Regulations 1994 | Cm 2537 | April 1994 |
| The Income-related Benefits Schemes (Miscellaneous Amendments) (No. 3) Regulations 1994 | Cm 2609 | July 1994 |
| The Housing Benefit, Council Tax Benefit and Income Support (Amendments) Regulations 1995 | Cm 2783 | March 1995 |
| The Social Fund Maternity and Funeral Expenses (General) Amendment Regulations 1995 | Cm 2858 | May 1995 |
| The Housing Benefit (General) Amendment Regulations 1995 | Cm 2902 | June 1995 |
| The Social Security (Income Support and Claims and Payments) Amendment Regulations 1995 | Cm 2905 | June 1995 |
| The Social Security (Persons from Abroad) Miscellaneous Amendments Regulations 1996 | Cm 3062 | January 1996 |
| The Housing Benefit (General) Amendment Regulations 1996 | Cm 3225 | April 1996 |
| The Draft Child Benefit, Child Support and Social Security (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 1996 | Cm 3296 | June 1996 |
| The Family Credit (General) Amendment Regulations 1996 | Cm 3297 | June 1996 |
| The Social Security (Disability Living Allowance and Claims and Payments) Amendments Regulations 1996 | Cm 3233 | June 1996 |
| The Income-Related Benefits and Jobseeker's Allowance (Personal Allowances for Children and Young Persons) (Amendment) Regulations 1996 | Cm 3393 | October 1996 |
10 Dec 1996 : Column: 181
Benefit Claimants
Mr. Alan Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many recipients of (a) incapacity benefit, (b) severe disablement allowance and (c) invalid care allowance have earnings from employment; how many claimants of (i) incapacity benefit, (ii) severe disablement allowance, (iii) invalid care allowance, (iv) maternity allowance and (v) retirement pension receive increases for adult dependants where the dependant only has earnings; and in how many cases both claimant and partner have earnings. [6727]
10 Dec 1996 : Column: 182
Mr. Burt: The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is in the table.
| Number | |
|---|---|
| Invalid care allowance recipients receiving earnings from employment at 18 November 1996 | (72)26,497 |
| Incapacity benefit cases where Adult Dependency Increase (ADI) reduced because of earnings of adult dependant | (73)920 |
| Incapacity benefit cases where ADI extinguished because of earnings of adult dependant | (72)8,000 |
| Severe disablement allowance cases where ADI reduced because of earnings of adult dependant | (72)20 |
| Severe disablement allowance cases where ADI extinguished because of earnings of adult dependant | (72)140 |
(72) 100 per cent. count of cases.
(73) 5 per cent. sample of the incapacity benefit computer system. Excludes a small number of cases not on the system. Subject to sampling error due to small number of cases.
Figures are at 31 May 1996 unless otherwise stated.
Mortgage Interest Payments
Mr. Alan Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what estimate he has made of (a) the cost and (b) the numbers gaining if entitlement to mortgage interest payments as currently payable with income support were extended to (i) family credit and (ii) disability working allowance. [6731]
Mr. Roger Evans: The cost of extending help with mortgage interest payments would be £1.1 billion in family credit and £17 million in disability working allowance.
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