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Waiting Times
Mr. Fearn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the changes in waiting times in key specialties, for consultations referred from general practices between June 1996 and June 1997 for (a) the north-west of England and (b) the United Kingdom as a whole. [8167]
Mr. Milburn: Information on the time waited by patients following written referral by their general practitioner to a hospital consultant is published quarterly in "Waiting Times for First Outpatient Appointments England: Detailed Statistics". This shows how long patients seen during the quarter had waited broken down by region, trust, specialty and timeband. Figures for the quarter ended 31 March 1997 will be published on 17 July. Copies will be available in the Library as is the corresponding publication for the quarter ended 30 June 1996.
Questions relating to Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are matters for my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland respectively.
Farmers' Suicides
Mr. Tyler: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) when the report into farmers' suicides commissioned by his Department will be completed; [8338]
- (2) when the report into farmers' suicides commissioned by his Department will be published. [8339]
Mr. Boateng: The Department of Health has commissioned a study into suicide in high risk groups, including farmers, which is being carried out by Professor Keith Hawton at the University of Oxford.
The data collection of the farmers component of the study is nearing completion, and data analysis and preparation of the final report has begun. The Department expects that the final report will be submitted in early autumn 1997, following which publication in peer reviewed journals and Departmental publications will be pursued.
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Child Benefit Centre
Mr. McWilliam: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if she will review the proposals to privatise the Child Benefit Centre in Washington; and if she will make a statement; [6247]
Mr. Kemp: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if she will make a statement on the future of the National Child Benefit Centre. [6644]
Mr. Field: We will streamline services to provide better, simpler more efficient services to clients.
We will be assessing the Department's current programme of changes--including outsourcing proposals--in the light of
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State, and myself have started meeting and seeking the views of those affected--including the Departmental trade union side. I intend visiting the Child Benefit Centre very shortly.
their implications for customer service, staff and the tax payer;
our aim of getting best value for money;
and our commitment to work within announced spending totals.
Pensions (Prisoners)
Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the effect on the pension arrangements of an individual serving more than five years imprisonment before being found by the Court of Appeal to have been wrongfully convicted. [7371]
Mr. Denham: People are not liable to pay national insurance contributions for the period of their imprisonment, but they can maintain their record for a basic state retirement pension by paying voluntary contributions for that period at any time before the end of the sixth year following the year in which it ended. The cost of the contributions may be included in claims for compensation under the statutory or ex gratia schemes for people who have been wrongfully imprisoned.
Tax and Benefit Reviews
Mr. Kirkwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if she will make a statement on the remit of the reviews of the tax and benefit systems being undertaken by (a) Mr. Martin Taylor and (b) the Minister for Social Security and Welfare Reform; if he will make a statement on how they relate to each other; and what the consultation process and time scale will be in each case. [7410]
Mr. Field: We are committed to modernising the structure and delivery of Social Security in order to encourage independence, social cohesion and well being; to develop an active welfare system which supports work, savings and honesty; and to help tackle effectively unjustifiable social and economic inequalities. To that end we will be examining the major components of the system. We will consult on specific issues in due course.
Mr. Martin Taylor has been asked by my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, to examine the interaction of the tax and benefits systems to that they can be streamlined and modernised, so as to fulfil our
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objectives of promoting work incentives, reducing poverty and welfare dependency and strengthening family and community life. The conclusions that emerge from that review will inform the judgments in my right hon. Friend's next budget, which will be in the spring of 1998.
There will be close liaison between this tax benefit review and the wider review on welfare reform.
Mr. Burstow:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what will be the cost of (a) not extending the restriction on housing benefit to the single room rent to people aged 25 to 59 years from October 1997 and (b) adjusting the level of non-dependant deductions from April 1998. [7595]
Mr. Keith Bradley:
The cost of not extending the restriction on housing benefit to the single room rent to people aged 25 to 59 years from October 1997 is £6 million; £47 million; £69 million for the financial years 1997-98, 1998-99 and 1999-00 respectively.
My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State, announced, as part of our commitment to keep spending within the planned ceiling for Social Security expenditure, our decision to review the levels of non-dependant deductions from April 1998. A final decision on the levels of deductions will not be taken until our annual review of benefit rates is completed later in the year. We will announce the outcome of the review on non-dependant deductions at that time.
Mr. Burstow:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what are the estimated annual savings for (a) housing benefit and (b) council tax benefit that will be generated by reducing to one month the time limit for their backdating. [7635]
Mr. Keith Bradley:
It is not possible to make precise estimates of the annual savings from this proposal because decisions on claims for backdating in housing benefit and council tax benefit, which are made by local authorities, are based on the circumstances surrounding each individual case. The best available estimate is that the measure may produce savings of up to £15 million in a full year.
Mrs. Ewing:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) how many applications for social security appeals were received in (a) Scotland, (b) England, (c) Wales and (d) Northern Ireland in each year since 1992; [7741]
(3) how many social security appeals were carried out by the Independent Tribunal Service in (a) Scotland, (b) England, (c) Wales and (d) Northern Ireland in each year since 1992. [7740]
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Mr. Keith Bradley:
The Social Security Bill which was introduced on 9 July will modernise the delivery of Social Security. One of the key objectives is to improve the appeals system and reduce delays.
Questions on the operational performance of the Independent Tribunal Service in England, Scotland and Wales should be directed to its President, His Honour Judge Bassingthwaighte.
Questions on the operational performance of the Independent Tribunal Service in Northern Ireland should be directed to its President, Mr. Conal MacLynn.
Mr. Burstow:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many disabled people will be affected by removing the right to claim disability living allowance for those between 65 and 66 years of age; and what is the total amount of money that will be saved in the first year. [7747]
Mr. Denham:
We are committed to a review with the objective of reducing poverty and welfare dependency and promoting work incentives. Provision for disabled people will form part of that review.
(2) what is the average waiting time for an applicant to have his or her appeal heard and for the appeal process to be completed in (a) Scotland, (b) England, (c) Wales and (d) Northern Ireland in each year since 1992; [7742]
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