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Teachers (Discretionary Support)
Mr. Worthington: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the changes in discretionary support for teachers embarking on courses to obtain additional qualifications, showing the financial allocations. [10985]
Mr. Ancram: As schools' budgets have been given priority, funds will not be available for new applicants for discretionary awards from and including the 1997-98 academic year. Teachers already receiving financial support will continue to have their tuition fees, travelling and subsistence expenses met under the existing terms and conditions.
Newcastle Disease
Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many recognised outbreaks of Newcastle disease have been recorded on farms in Northern Ireland by area in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [11544]
Mr. Ancram: No outbreaks of Newcastle disease were recorded on farms in Northern Ireland in 1992 to 1995. One outbreak was recorded in County Antrim in 1996.
17 Jan 1997 : Column: 407
Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many (a) chickens, (b) turkeys and (c) other birds have been affected by Newcastle disease in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [11542]
Mr. Ancram: One outbreak of Newcastle disease occurred in Northern Ireland in 1996, affecting approximately 2,500 chickens. Some 59,000 in-contact chickens were slaughtered during the outbreak.
Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people have been affected with Newcastle disease in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [11543]
Mr. Ancram: There were no recorded cases of Newcastle disease in humans in Northern Ireland during the last five years.
SOCIAL SECURITY
Benefits Agency Medical Services
Mr. Alan Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) if he will (a) place in the Library and (b) circulate to members of the Social Security Committee the draft contract to be issued on 19 December to private sector companies shortlisted for the contractorisation of the Benefits Agency medical services; [10273]
- (2) pursuant to his answer of 11 November, Official Report, columns 87-88, if he will place in the Library the statement of service requirements issued on 20 November to companies shortlisted for the contractorisation of the Benefits Agency medical services. [10272]
Mr. Burt: The information requested cannot be provided, as disclosure would prejudice the competitive position of the Department in its negotiations with the shortlisted companies.
Asylum Seekers
Mr. Rooney: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if an asylum seeker in receipt of income support is allowed to undertake a full-time course of education or training. [10266]
Mr. Roger Evans: Asylum seekers in receipt of income support are subject to the same rules on study as other recipients. However, an asylum seeker who has been granted refugee status may continue to receive benefit for up to nine months while attending a course for more than 15 hours a week to learn English in order to enable him to gain employment, provided that, on the date the course started, he had been in Great Britain for not more than 12 months.
Pensioner Incomes
Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will publish data on the spread of income of pensioners on the lowest decile of income and the highest decile of income in 1978-79 and 1994-95. [10743]
17 Jan 1997 : Column: 408
Mr. Heald: The information is in the table. The figures represent the amount of the spread in income of pensioners between the 25th and the 75th percentile of each of the lowest decile and highest decile of the income distribution.
| 1979 £ | 1994-95 £ | |
|---|---|---|
| Bottom decile | 30.40 | 28.20 |
| Top decile | 116.70 | 205.60 |
Notes
1.All estimates are £s per week in July 1994 prices, rounded to the nearest £0.10.
2.Data for 1979 are based upon an estimate for the calendar year 1979. The 1994-95 estimate is in respect of that financial year.
3.The estimates refer to all pensioner units. A pensioner unit is defined to be either a single person over state pension age, or a couple where the head, assumed to be the man, is aged over SPA.
4.The measure of spread provided is the inter-quartile range, which is the difference between the 25th percentile and the 75th percentile of an income distribution. This measure is subject to a large degree of statistical variability.
Source:
The pensioners' incomes series 1994-95.
Jobseeker's Allowance
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what were the start-up costs of the information technology system needed to run the jobseeker's allowance payment scheme. [10510]
Mr. Roger Evans: The information is set out in the table:
| £ million | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Information Technology Services Agency | Benefits Agency/ Employment Service | Total |
| 1994-95 | 2,395 | 0,394 | 2,789 |
| 1995--96 | 15,385 | 3,235 | 18,620 |
| 1996-97 | 7,051 | 2,239 | 9,290 |
| Total | 24,831 | 5,868 | 30,699 |
Mr. Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what are the estimated annual running costs of the jobseeker's allowance payment scheme. [10511]
Mr. Evans: The information is not yet available. However, it is estimated that the annual costs of administering jobseeker's allowance will be broadly similar to those for the previous benefits, unemployment benefit and income support for unemployed people.
Corporate Date (Access System)
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement on the tendering for the new ACCORD--access to corporate data--information technology system. [10512]
Mr. Burt: The ACCORD project is intended to deliver, through the private finance initiative, a set of services to support the Department's information systems--information technology strategy.
17 Jan 1997 : Column: 409
A notice was placed in the supplement to the Official Journal of the European Communities on 7 August 1996. A statement of requirement was issued on 2 October to which six responses were received. Following an evaluation of these responses, an announcement was made on 12 December that three bidders would be taken forward to the next stage.
Following a period of consultation lasting several months, tenders will be invited.
Mr. Flynn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer of 28 November 1996, Official Report, column 400, if he will place in the Library a copy of the version of the draft regulations to which the comments of the president of the Independent Tribunal Service referred. [11045]
Mr. Roger Evans:
I have placed a copy of the draft regulations in the Library.
There were some changes made before laying before the House in order to make the drafting clearer and to correct minor drafting errors, as well as amendments following the consultation with the president of the Independent Tribunal Service and the Council on Tribunals.
Mr. Hutton:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people were claiming (a) invalidity benefit and (b) incapacity benefit in the Barrow and Furness parliamentary constituency in each year between 1990 and 1996. [11023]
Mr. Burt:
The administration of invalidity benefit and incapacity benefit is a matter for Peter Mathison, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member.
| Number | |
|---|---|
| March 1992 | 10,633 |
| March 1993 | 10,961 |
| March 1994 | 11,513 |
| March 1995 | 12,076 |
| March 1996 | (2)12,469 |
Figures are provisional and subject to change. Incapacity Benefit replaced Invalidity Benefit on 13 April 1995.
(2) The figure quoted is for Incapacity Benefit cases paid at short term higher rate and long term rate, ie cases from the 29th week of incapacity. This is comparable to Invalidity Benefit.
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