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Offal
Mrs. Ballard: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food who instructed renderers to stop treating offal with ether; and when the instruction was issued. [25035]
Mr. Rooker: The rendering industry was not to our knowledge instructed to stop treating offal with ether and other hydrocarbon solvents. The decision was primarily a commercial one.
Mrs. Ballard: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what research he has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated into the effect on the BSE prion of treating offal with ether. [25034]
Mr. Rooker: MAFF has funded research into the capacity of the following hydrocarbon solvents to inactivate BSE: hexane, heptane, petroleum ether and perchlorethylene. These were the chemicals used historically in the rendering industry for the extraction of tallow. The experiment is due to be completed in March 1998 and cannot be evaluated until the final results are received.
SOCIAL SECURITY
State Pension
18. Mr. Wilkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans she has to make payment of the state old-age pension subject to a test of the recipient's means. [23069]
Mr. Denham: We stand by our manifesto commitment to maintain the basic State pension as the foundation of income in retirement and we will continue to uprate it at least in line with prices.
30. Mr. Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if she will take steps to link the calculation of the state pension to average earnings. [23081]
Mr. Denham:
The future uprating of the basic pension is being considered by the Pensions Review. In the meantime we have met our manifesto commitment to uprate it at least in line with prices.
26 Jan 1998 : Column: 102
Mr. Clifton-Brown:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans she has to apply an affluence test to the basic state pension. [23080]
31. Mr. Robathan:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what assessment she has made of the merits of subjecting the state pension to a means test. [23082]
Mr. Denham:
We stand by our manifesto commitment to maintain the basic State pension as the foundation of income in retirement and we will continue to uprate it at least in line with prices.
We are concerned at widening inequalities between richer and poorer pensioners. That is why the pensions review is examining means of improving access to adequate second pensions.
Mr. Cousins:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if she will list the amount and percentage of (a) total benefits expenditure and (b) total expenditure on the state retirement pension accounted for by women qualifying for state retirement pension on the basis of their own independent contribution record in (i) 1981 and (ii) 1995. [24751]
Mr. Denham:
The information is not available in the format requested as there is no source of information that can identify all other Social Security benefits paid to women receiving Category A Retirement Pension (RP) in their own right.
| 1981 | 1995 | |
|---|---|---|
| Expenditure on RP to category A women | £5.032 billion | £7.491 billion |
| Proportion of total expenditure on RP going to category A women | 21 per cent. | 25 per cent. |
Sources:
1. Pension Strategy Computer System (PSCS) 10 per cent. sample for November 1981, 5 per cent. sample for September 1995.
2. Social Security Departmental Report 1997 and earlier equivalent.
Notes:
1. RP expenditure figures include total expenditure on contributory basic RP, Graduated Retirement Benefit and Additional Pension for GB.
2. Proportion of total expenditure on RP is calculated using PSCS figures for GB and overseas cases on average amounts of the total amount of RP (including payable Additional Pension, Graduated Pension, increments, age addition, Invalidity Addition, Attendance Allowance, but excluding increase for dependants and non contributory Retirement Pension) payable to women receiving any category A RP, including widows whose own category A entitlement is increased in respect of the late spouse's RP entitlement and those married women whose category A entitlement is topped up to the 60 per cent. married women's pension.
3. The figures are expressed in 1995-96 prices.
Violence Against Women
20. Ms Beverley Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans the Ministers for Women have to introduce measures to tackle violence against women. [23071]
Ms Ruddock:
Action on violence against women is one of the key priorities for us as Ministers for Women. We are working with other Government Departments on drawing up a coherent strategy for tackling all forms of violence against women.
26 Jan 1998 : Column: 103
21. Ms Abbott:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans she has to change the current arrangements for maternity benefit; and if she will make a statement. [23072]
Mr. Denham:
We want working women to have confidence that the arrangements for maternity pay will help them balance their work and their family responsibilities. The current system is unfair and complicated and fails the lowest paid.
23. Ms Hewitt:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what estimate she has made of the number of women currently in employment who would not qualify for maternity pay. [23074]
Mr. Denham:
50,000 pregnant working women a year do not qualify for maternity benefits because their earnings are too low. This is out of 360,000 working women who become pregnant each year.
25. Mr. Timms:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what action the Government are taking to help the least well-off pensioners. [23076]
Mr. Denham:
We are determined to get help to the million pensioners not claiming their entitlement to Income Support. We have commissioned research to investigate why they do not make a claim, and from April we will be running a number of pilot projects to find the best way of getting help to them.
26. Mr. Stevenson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if she will make a statement on the Government's proposals to tackle organised landlord fraud. [23077]
Mr. Field:
Fraud and abuse will be rooted out in our drive to modernise the Social Security system and rebuild public confidence in it. We introduced regulations last November to give local authorities additional powers to fight landlord fraud and tighten up the rules on paying benefit direct to landlords. We are carrying out--in conjunction with local authorities--a fresh survey to provide accurate and up to date estimates of the extent of Housing Benefit fraud, including landlord fraud. The survey report is expected by the end of March. Those who commit fraud will be vigorously pursued.
27. Mr. Gerald Howarth:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans she has to review the working of child benefit. [23078]
Mr. Keith Bradley:
Our manifesto commitment makes it quite clear that where Child Benefit is universal, from birth to age 16, we will maintain it and uprate it at least in line with prices.
Child Benefit is payable for 16 to 18 year olds staying on in full-time education. The Government are reviewing educational finance and maintenance for this group, as we promised in our manifesto.
26 Jan 1998 : Column: 104
39. Dr. Julian Lewis:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans she has to reform child benefit. [23091]
Mr. Keith Bradley:
Our manifesto commitment is to retain Child Benefit where it is universal today--from birth to age 16--and to uprate it at least in line with prices.
An inter-Departmental review of all the arrangements for financial support for young people choosing to stay in education beyond compulsory school age is continuing. Child Benefit for 16 to 18 year olds is part of that review.
28. Mr. Page:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many women did not name the father of the child on the birth certificate in the last year for which figures are available. [23079]
Mr. Keith Bradley:
In 1996, the latest year for which figures are available, there were around 650,000 births in 1996 in England and Wales, 60,000 in Scotland and 25,000 in Northern Ireland. The name of the father was not registered in 8 per cent. of these births in England and Wales, 7 per cent. in Scotland and 10 per cent. in Northern Ireland.
32. Mr. Baker:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when the Minister for Welfare Reform plans to publish his report on welfare reform. [23083]
Mr. Field.:
We will be publishing a Green Paper on Welfare Reform shortly.
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