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Incapacity Benefit

Mr. Thurnham: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will meet the chief executive of the Benefits Agency to discuss the time taken to assess the incapacity benefit claim by Mrs. Jean Cavanagh of 71 Thorns road, Astley Bridge, Bolton; and if he will make a statement. [9750]

Mr. Burt: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has no plans to meet the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He is aware of the delays that have occurred in this case and the chief executive will write to the hon. Gentleman separately.

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I can now confirm that a decision has been made and that Mrs. Cavanagh has been advised of that decision.

Child Support

Ms Lynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the target time for handling departure applications from the time of the initial inquiry to the revised maintenance level being implemented; and what proportion of departure applications he estimates will meet this target in 1997. [9953]

Mr. Andrew Mitchell: Consideration is being given to the nature and value of target times for activity on departures in the light of live running of the new scheme.

Mr. Simon Coombs: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will extend the provision enabling child support liability orders to be entered on the register of county court judgments. [10960]

Mr. Mitchell: Since 20 May 1996, the Child Support Agency has had the power to enter liability orders made in magistrates courts in the register of county court judgments. To date, only new orders have been entered. From today however, the agency will also be able to enter liability orders made before 20 May. Those absent parents affected by the change will be given an opportunity to reach an agreement to repay arrears of child support before the liability order is registered.

Overseas Pensions

Mr. Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security in what circumstances his Department acts on behalf of those individuals living in the United Kingdom who are known to have served in Nazi armies in respect of overseas pensions; and if he will make a statement.[9954]

Mr. Heald: The Department of Social Security will act for any citizen from any member state of the European economic area in accordance with the law. This includes application of EC regulations on social security for migrant workers--regulations 1408/71 and 572/72--where the person concerned has been insured in two or more states of the European economic area. The scope of these regulations includes contributory old-age, survivors and invalidity pensions. It does not, however, extend to war pensions.

Jobseeker's Allowance

Mr. Hinchliffe: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if a person unable to claim incapacity benefit as a result of the all-work test will be able to claim the jobseeker's allowance for the first 13 weeks without pursuing employment opportunities away from their recognised past employment; and if he will make a statement. [10257]

Mr. Roger Evans: A person claiming jobseeker's allowance after being found capable of work under the all-work test is subject to the same conditions of entitlement as other jobseekers. A person may restrict his availability to his usual occupation for a "permitted period" of up to 13 weeks. Whether he has a usual occupation is a question of fact which may have to be determined by an independent adjudication officer. If he is no longer capable of carrying out that previous

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occupation, this is likely to have a bearing on whether he is regarded as having a usual occupation for jobseeker's allowance.

Someone who has physical or mental difficulties can restrict his availability in any way, provided that his restrictions are reasonable in the light of those difficulties.

HEALTH

Dental Services

Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 6 December, Official Report, columns 820-21, on the largest annual NHS payments to dentists, in which town is the dental practice listed in each of the years given. [9075]

Mr. Malone: In 1995-96 the highest earning dentist practices were listed in Norfolk and Essex. In 1991-92, 1992-93, 1993-94 and 1994-95 the highest earning dentists' practices were listed in London.

Practice Nurses

Mr. Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many general medical services practice nurses there were (a) in each family health services authority and (b) in each region in each year from 1985 to 1996. [9767]

Mr. Malone: The available information will be placed in the Library.

I regret that my previous reply on 15 July 1996 at column 391 for Bolton family health services authority in 1995 was incorrect in respect of practice nurse data. I am placing the correct information in the Library.

NHS Trusts

Mr. Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 25 November, Official Report, column 114, how many and what percentage of national health service trusts in England failed at the end of the 1995-96 financial year (a) to break even, (b) to achieve their target rate of return on relevant net assets, (c) to stay within their external financing limit and (d) to meet one or more of these targets. [10805]

Mr. Horam: The information requested has been placed in the Library.

Chlorofluorocarbons

Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he plans to introduce measures to phase out the use of CFCs in aerosols for medical use. [10410]

Mr. Clappison: I have been asked to reply.

CFCs may continue to be produced for use in the manufacture of metered dose inhalers--MDIs--under essential use exemption under the Montreal protocol, and EC regulation 3093/94 by which the protocol is implemented in the EU. Decision VIII/8 bis of the eighth meeting of the parties to the Montreal protocol in November 1996 noted that a transition is occurring from

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the use of CFC-based MDIs to non-CFC treatments for asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, and encouraged developed countries to take measures to ensure a smooth and efficient transition, and protect the health and safety of patients. The Government have accordingly begun to prepare a transition strategy which will assist the orderly phase-out of CFCs in the application as suitable non-CFC-based treatments become available.

DEFENCE

Equipment Contracts (Gloucestershire)

2. Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the impact on jobs in Gloucestershire as a consequence of defence contracts awarded in each of the past five years. [8971]

Mr. Arbuthnot: We do not maintain estimates of defence-related jobs on a county basis. However, the south-west as a whole is one of the two regions with the highest proportion of those in work whose jobs are directly related to my Department's equipment contracts.

Cadet Forces

13. Sir Colin Shepherd: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the role of the services cadet forces. [8983]

Mr. Soames: The cadet forces continue to play a vital role in the nation's voluntary youth movement.

Helicopters (Unauthorised Use)

14. Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he is taking to prevent the unauthorised use of helicopters by naval personnel. [8984]

Mr. Soames: I am not aware of any cases of unauthorised use of helicopters by naval personnel. All flights by Royal Navy aircraft are governed by strict authorising procedures.

Departmental Land Disposal (Hampshire)

15. Mr. Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations he has recently (a) received from and (b) made to Hampshire county council regarding the disposal of land in Hampshire that is surplus to his Department's requirements. [8985]

Mr. Soames: My Department maintains close liaison with Hampshire county council and other local authorities in the county on matters concerning the defence estate. Regular meetings are held, at which both general and particular issues, including the disposal of surplus sites, are discussed.

Anglo-American Defence Arrangements

16. Mr. Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he last met the US Secretary for Defence to discuss Anglo-American defence arrangements; and if he will make a statement. [8986]

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Mr. Portillo: I meet Dr. Perry on a regular basis; we last met during the meetings of NATO Defence Ministers in Brussels on 17 and 18 December. I look forward to working closely with his successor, Senator Cohen, when he takes up his appointment.

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