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Industrial Pollution
Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will estimate how many (a) sites and (b) hectares are currently contaminated by industrial pollution; and if he will make a statement. [10427]
Mr. Clappison [holding answer 13 January 1997]: The basis for an adequate estimate of the extent of land affected by industrial pollution does not exist. We are preparing to bring into force part IIA of the Environmental Protection Act 1990--inserted into that Act by section 57 of the Environment Act 1995--which will give local authorities a specific duty to cause their areas to be inspected to identify land which meets the statutory definition of contaminated land.
SOCIAL SECURITY
Child Support Agency
Mr. Pawsey: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many members of staff were taken on as (a) full-time, (b) short-contract, (c) part-time, (d) casual employees and (e) outside contractors by the CSA during the period 31 October 1995 to 31 October 1996. [9559]
Mr. Andrew Mitchell: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for its chief executive, Miss Ann Chant. She will write to the hon. Member.
15 Jan 1997 : Column: 253
Letter from Miss Ann Chant to Mr. James Pawsey, dated 14 January 1997:
Mr. Pawsey:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many members of the CSA's staff are (a) full-time, (b) short-contract, (c) part-time, (d) casual employees and (e) outside contractors; and how many ceased working for, or being contracted to, the CSA during the period 31 October 1995 to 31 October 1996.[9560]
Mr. Mitchell:
The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the chief executive, Miss Ann Chant. She will write to the hon. Member.
Letter from Miss Ann Chant to Mr. James Pawsey, dated 14 January 1997:
Mr. Pawsey:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many members of the staff of the CSA were dismissed or had their contracts terminated for disciplinary infringements during the period 31 October 1995 to 31 October 1996. [9558]
Mr. Mitchell:
The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for its chief executive, Miss Ann Chant. She will write to the hon. Member.
Letter from Miss Ann Chant to Mr. James Pawsey, dated 14 January 1997:
Mr. Pawsey:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many letters of inquiry or complaint from hon. Members were received by the Child Support Agency during each month between January and October. [9557]
15 Jan 1997 : Column: 254
Mr. Mitchell:
The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for its chief executive, Miss Ann Chant. She will write to the hon. Member.
I am replying to your Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security about staff taken on by the Child Support Agency.
During the period from 31 October 1995 to 31 October 1996, the Agency employed a total of 229 fixed term contract staff; of this number 198 were recruited as full time staff and 31 as part time staff. During the same period, 780 casual staff were recruited, of whom 735 were full time and 45 were part time.
The Agency does not directly employ any outside contractors.
I hope this is helpful.
I am replying to your Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security about Child Support Agency staffing.
At the 31 October 1996, the Agency employed a total of 6986 full time staff, of whom 178 were fixed term contracts and 510 were casual employees. The number of part time staff was 1395, of whom 22 were fixed term contracts and 36 casual employees.
The number of permanently employed staff who ceased working for the Agency for any reason in the 12 months to 31 October 1996 was 434. The number of fixed term contract staff and casual staff who's contract came to an end during this period was 834.
The Agency does not directly employ any outside contractors.
I hope this is helpful.
I am replying to your Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security about Child Support Agency staffing.
The number of Child Support Agency staff dismissed for disciplinary infringements during the period 31 October 1995 to 31 October 1996 is 17.
This does not include any staff dismissed within the Belfast Child Support Agency Centre, as staffing issues at this Centre are the responsibility of the Northern Ireland Child Support Agency.
I hope this is helpful.
| Month | Chief executive correspondence | CSAC manager correspondence |
|---|---|---|
| January | 715 | 682 |
| February | 896 | 754 |
| March | 801 | 752 |
| April | 686 | 736 |
| May | 899 | 741 |
| June | 753 | 587 |
| July | 738 | 696 |
| August | 584 | 564 |
| September | 780 | 649 |
| October | 697 | 704 |
Partners' Working Hours Rule
Mr. Alan Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his current estimate of (a) the cost and (b) the numbers gaining from the abolition of the hours rule for partners of income support and jobseeker's allowance claimants. [10213]
Mr. Roger Evans: The cost of abolishing the hours rule for partners of income support and income-based jobseekers' allowance claimants is estimated to be in the range of £200 million to £300 million per annum, with between 70,000 and 90,000 gainers. This is at 1997-98 levels of benefits and incomes, assumes families claim the benefit which is of most reward to them, and takes no account of possible behavioural changes.
Child Care Disregard
Mr. Alan Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his estimate of the cost of extending the child care disregard to those on maximum family credit and disability working allowance by allowing the amount which would have been disregarded subject to a (a) 70 per cent. taper and (b) 50 per cent. taper. [10214]
Mr. Roger Evans: The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is set out in the table.
15 Jan 1997 : Column: 255
| Family credit cost (per annum) £ million | |
|---|---|
| 70 per cent. taper | 10 |
| 50 per cent. taper | 5 |
1. Figures are based on the May 1996 family credit statistics, and use actual weekly child care expenditure reported at that time, subject to the appropriate limit. Estimates are rounded to the nearest £5 million.
2. Figures do not include any offsetting savings in housing benefit or council tax benefit.
3. A number of maximum family credit cases gain from the childcare disregard, but by less than the full amount as it is the help with child care that brings them to the maximum. Estimates include allowing these cases to gain by the full amount subject to a 70 per cent. taper or a 50 per cent. taper.
4. Estimates do not include behavioural effects.
5. Estimates do not include disability working allowance as the sample size would be too small to support a reliable estimate.
Ministerial Leave
Mr. Ian McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) how many days of leave he plans to take during the Christmas Adjournment; [9813]
- (2) how many days leave he has taken in the Easter, Whitsun and Summer Adjournments; and how many days leave he took during the time in which Parliament was prorogued this year. [9812]
Mr. Burt: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to him by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster on 13 January, Official Report, columns 12-13.
Asylum Seekers
Mr. Kirkwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many asylum seekers have been refused benefits in the last year; and if he will make a statement. [9871]
Mr. Roger Evans: The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is as follows: from 20 November 1995 up to 17 December 1996 the number of income support claims terminated because a decision had been made on their asylum application was 7,564.
Disability Working Allowance
Mr. Alan Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his current estimate of (a) the cost and (b) the numbers gaining if a full disregard of spouse earnings were to be introduced into disability working allowance. [10211]
Mr. Andrew Mitchell: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 9 December, Official Report, column 67.
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