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Yester House and Yester Chapel
Mr. Home Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what grants have been made from public funds for the repair and maintenance of Yester house and Yester chapel; what public access conditions apply to those grants; and what steps he is taking to ensure that those conditions are fulfilled. [10299]
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton [holding answer 13 January 1997]: Between 1977 and 1982 grant of £203,690 was awarded under the historic buildings repair grant scheme in respect of Yester house. The condition of grant giving a public right of access to Yester house ceased to have effect following a change of ownership in 1986.
Between 1990 and 1995 grant of £161,700 under the same scheme was awarded for repairs to Yester chapel. This building, although in the grounds of Yester house, is in entirely separate ownership. A condition of the grant to the chapel's trustees was that there should be public access by appointment. It is for the chapel's trustees in the first instance to ensure that all conditions under which they accepted grant are fulfilled.
Royal Victoria Infirmary NHS Trust
Mr. Chisholm: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list for the Royal Victoria Infirmary NHS trust staffing levels on (a) 1 April 1993, (b) 1 April 1994, (c) 1 April 1995, (d) 1 April 1996 and (e) 30 November 1996 for (i) building engineering and maintenance, (ii) ground maintenance, (iii) capital project management, (iv) catering, (v) cleaning, (vi) fire detection and control equipment, (vii) laundry,
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(viii) medical and industrial gases, (ix) portering, (x) telecommunications management, (xi) transport and (xii) waste management. [10703]
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton [holding answer 13 January 1997]: The information requested is not available centrally. I have asked the chief executive of Victoria Infirmary NHS Trust in Glasgow, who is in a position to provide the detailed figures requested, to reply to the hon. Gentleman direct.
SOCIAL SECURITY
Benefit Fraud
Mr. Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what information on the savings accruing to public funds from his Department's anti-fraud measures was collected between his predecessor's statement of 6 May 1981, Official Report, column 79, and 1986-87. [8085]
Mr. Heald: The information is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Benefit Claimants
Mr. Kevin Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what has been the number of new benefits claimants in each month since April 1992. [9031]
Mr. Burt: The available information has been placed in the Library.
Disability Living Allowance
Ms Hodge: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) if he will estimate the cost to his Department's budget of awarding the mobility component of the disability living allowance to those aged over 65 years; [9600]
- (2) how many people he estimates would be able to claim the mobility component of the disability living allowance if it were awarded to those over 65 years. [9597]
Mr. Andrew Mitchell: It is estimated that an extra 2.3 million people would receive the mobility component of disability living allowance if it were to be awarded to disabled people over the age of 65, at an estimated additional cost of £3.9 billion for 1996-97.
Notes:
1. Estimates are for the full year 1996-97 and are in 1996-97 prices.
2. Figures are based on disability living allowance (DLA) caseload statistics and the disability survey 1985 and are rounded to the nearest 100,000 people and £0.1 billion.
3. All figures are subject to error.
4. Estimates do not take into account changes to the payment of the DLA mobility component to people in hospital which took effect in July 1996, or the effect on other social security benefits.
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Mr. Mitchell: The information is in the table:
| (Thousands) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Disability living allowance(2) | Attendance allowance |
| 1992 | (4)1,019 | (5)(6)1,059 |
| 1993 | 1,248 | (5)(6)890 |
| 1994 | 1,400 | (5)(6)962 |
| 1995 | 1,589 | (5)(6)1,046 |
| 1996 | 1,768 | (2)(3)1,194 |
Source:
Analytical Services Division.
Notes:
(2) Based on 5 per cent. data.
(3) Figures relate to 31 August.
(4) Disability living allowance was introduced in April 1992 for people under age 65. The 1992 figure includes beneficiaries who transferred to disability living allowance in April 1992 from mobility allowance and attendance allowance.
(5) Figures based on a 100 per cent. count of statistical records adjusted to reflect the extent to which they overstate the number of live cases.
(6) Figures as at 31 March 1996.
Ms Hodge: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the total cost to his Department in awarding the mobility component of the disability living allowance for (a) last year and (b) each of the previous years since its introduction. [9596]
Mr. Mitchell: The information is set out in the table:
| £ million | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | 1992-93 | 1993-94 | 1994-95 | 1995-96 |
| Higher rate mobility component | 1,167 | 1,547 | 1,679 | 1,977 |
| Lower rate mobility component | 52 | 108 | 137 | 183 |
| Total mobility component | 1,219 | 1,655 | 1,816 | 2,160 |
Source:
The 1995-96 figure is based on disability living allowance (DLA) expenditure in the appropriation accounts published this month. The breakdown for the earlier three years conforms with total DLA expenditure shown in the departmental report 1996.
Note:
All figures are estimated.
Attendance Allowances
Ms Hodge: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what has been the total cost to his Department for paying attendance allowance in the current year and in each of the previous four years. [9599]
Mr. Andrew Mitchell: The information is set out in the table:
| Year | £ million |
|---|---|
| 1992-93(7) | 1,553 |
| 1993-94(7) | 1,795 |
| 1994-95(7) | 1,963 |
| 1995-96(8) | 2,218 |
| 1996-97(9) | 2,421 |
Notes:
(7) Source: March 1996 social security departmental report and earlier equivalents.
(8) Source: 1995-96 appropriation accounts, vote 1.
(9) Estimated expenditure, may change prior to the publication of the March 1997 departmental report.
(10) Figures are rounded to the nearest million.
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Ministerial Visits
Mr. Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list for each of the Ministers in his Department how many official ministerial visits they have undertaken since 1 January; and how many of these have been abroad. [9388]
Mr. Burt: The information is set out in the table:
| Number of domestic ministerial visits | Number of ministerial visits abroad | |
|---|---|---|
| Peter Lilley | 13 | 2 |
| Alistair Burt | 84 | 1 |
| The Lord MacKay of Ardbrecknish | 15 | 1 |
| Andrew Mitchell | 12 | 2 |
| Roger Evans | 19 | 0 |
| Oliver Heald | 31 | 0 |
Housing Benefit
Mr. Nigel Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what methodology his Department is using to monitor the effects of the housing benefit changes for single people implemented on 7 October; what initial report he has received; and if he will make a statement.[9417]
Mr. Roger Evans: The Department has asked a representative sample of local authorities to provide it with data specifically related to claims made by single claimants under the age of 25 years, on a quarterly basis. Information relating to the October to December quarter will be processed and analysed when received, and will be published in the usual way. This data together with data from other sources, for example, the rent officers statistics, will be used to assess the impact of the changes.
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