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Benefits Agency Medical Services
Mr. Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what targets for quality of service in addition to clearance times are currently set for the Benefits Agency medical services. [16496]
Mr. Burt: The administration of the Benefits Agency medical service is a matter for Peter Mathison, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member.
Letter from Peter Mathison to Mr. Alan Howarth, dated 19 February 1997:
The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent parliamentary question asking what targets for quality of service in addition to clearance times are currently set for the Benefits Agency Medical Service (BAMS).
Mr. Alan Howarth:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he intends to publish the results of the disability living allowance benefit review. [16666]
Mr. Andrew Mitchell:
I refer the hon. Member to the reply my hon. Friend the Minister of State for Social Security and Disabled People gave to the hon. Member for Erith and Crayford (Mr. Evennett) on 12 February 1997, Official Report, column 250.
A copy of the review is available in the Library.
Mr. Flynn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what instructions he has given to the Benefits Agency in Wales on changes in the consultation period on the BA-area strategy unit report. [16525]
Mr. Roger Evans:
The Benefits Agency has been instructed that none of the measures within the consultation document "BA Wales--Blue Print for The Future" are to be implemented during the consultation period.
All comments and concerns raised during the consultation period will be given full consideration.
Mr. Rooney:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what payments and expenses derived from part-time employment by jobseeker's allowance claimants are not treated as earnings by the Benefits Agency. [16764]
20 Feb 1997 : Column: 712
Mr. Roger Evans:
The information is as follows:
Part-time employment for the purposes of jobseeker's allowance is work in which a person is engaged for less than 16 hours a week on average (24 hours in the case of partners of people receiving income-based jobseeker's allowance).
Mr. Milburn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what monitoring takes place by his Department of the use of external consultants by non-departmental public bodies. [16750]
Mr. Burt:
The use of external consultants by non-departmental public bodies--NDPBs--is discussed and agreed with the Department,usually during the planning and allocation process and as such are included in any business or corporate plans. The results of any consultancy exercise are monitored each year as part of an established accountability review process and actual expenditure is recorded and monitored on a monthly basis throughout the financial year. The Department's NDPBs are also subject to scrutiny by the National Audit Office and by the Department's own internal audit team.
Mr. Denham:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the net present cost, in 1996 prices, of national insurance rebates and incentives paid to those who have joined appropriate personal pensions since 1988-89, assuming the social discount rate used by his Department. [13841]
Mr. Heald
[holding answer 4 February 1997]: For the years 1987-88 to 1994-95, the latest date for which certified figures are available, the cost of national insurance rebates and incentives was £21.7 billion at net present value. This figure has been calculated using the GDP deflator and a social discount rate of 3.75 per cent. consistent with the Government Actuary's review of contracting out terms (Cm 3221). The figure includes the cost of providing flat rate rebates, incentives and age
20 Feb 1997 : Column: 713
additions to holders of appropriate personal pensions during this period. From 6 April 1997, flat rate rebates for APPs, and the age addition, will be replaced by age-related rebates. The costs of the new rebates will be contained by tailoring the amount needed by a funded pension to replace the state pension foregone according to the age of the policyholder. The allowance made for administrative expenses in the rebates are based on those of the more efficient providers. The rebates will also be capped to avoid excessive rebate levels.
Mr. Austin-Walker:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his estimate of the expenditure by his Department on housing benefit subsidy paid to local authorities in each of the years from 1989-90 to 1996-97; and what is his estimate for 1997-98 in respect of tenants of housing associations created as a result of large-scale voluntary transfer. [15164]
Mr. Roger Evans
[holding answer 10 February 1997]: This information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is set out in the table:
Targets for standards of service are set out in the BAMS Professional Standards, and the Client Service Standards. Details have been placed in the Library.
I hope this reply is helpful.
Employed earners
Income tax deducted; primary class 1 national insurance contributions deducted; one-half of any sum paid as a contribution towards an occupational or personal pension; payments in kind; payments (whether or not reimbursed by the employer) in respect of expenses wholly, exclusively and necessarily incurred in the performance of the duties of the employment (but not including travelling expenses incurred by the claimant between his home and place of work or expenses incurred under arrangements made for the care of a member of the claimant's family owing to his absence from home).
Self-employed earners
An amount in respect of income tax; an amount in respect of class 2 and class 4 national insurance contributions; one-half of any sum paid as a contribution towards a personal pension; expenses wholly and exclusively defrayed for the purposes of the employment (but excluding capital expenditure, depreciation, sums employed or intended to be employed in the setting up or expansion of the business, loss incurred before the period over which the earnings are being assessed, capital repayments on loans taken out for the purposes of the business and business entertainment); excess of VAT paid over VAT received in the period over which the earnings are assessed; income expended in the repair of existing assets except to the extent that any sum is payable under an insurance policy for its repair and interst on loans taken out for the purposes of the business.
Note:
| Year | Subsidy (£ million) |
|---|---|
| 1990-91 | 9 |
| 1991-92 | 13 |
| 1992-93 | 37 |
| 1993-94 | 70 |
| 1994-95 | 110 |
| 1995-96 | 154 |
| 1996-97 | 216 |
| 1997-98 | 227 |
Source:
Departmental estimates used to inform the Public Expenditure Survey for the relevant year adjusted by the GDP deflator.
Notes:
1. The information relates only to the estimates of the housing benefit subsidy paid to local authorities in respect of private sector tenancies created as a result of large scale voluntary transfers for the years 1990-91 to 1997-98.
DEFENCE
Tornado GR1 Aircraft
Mr. Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the average annual running cost of a squadron of Tornado GR1 aircraft. [16563]
Mr. Soames: The average cost of operating a Tornado GR1 squadron, including the variable hourly flying costs and the apportionment of the station's fixed costs and overheads, is £78 million per annum.
Regimental Museums
Mr. Bayley:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much money his Department provided in each year since 1990-91 towards staff pay in (a) all the regimental museums in the United Kingdom and (b) the museum of the Royal Dragoon Guards and Prince of Wales's Own Regiment in York. [16648]
20 Feb 1997 : Column: 714
Mr. Soames:
My Department currently contributes some £1.68 million in total to the operating costs of some 70 Army regimental and corps museums. The information for previous years is not available in the form requested.
| Financial Year | RDG £ | PWO £ |
|---|---|---|
| 1992-93 | 9,300 | 8,800 |
| 1993-94 | 11,000 | 10,000 |
| 1994-95 | 11,000 | 10,300 |
| 1995-96 | 11,100 | 10,400 |
| 1996-97 (estimate) | 12,000 | 8,900 |
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