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SOCIAL SECURITY
Gender Impact Assessments
Jackie Ballard: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the subject of each gender impact assessment drawn up by his Department since June 1997, indicating in each case whether the outcome has been (a) put out to consultation and (b) published. [91999]
Angela Eagle: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to her on 22 July 1999, Official Report, column 636, by my right hon. Friend the Minister for Women.
As part of the Government's commitment to ensuring that its policies are relevant to the lives that people live today, this Department is working closely with the Women's Unit on gender issues. Our approach to developing policy initiatives is consistent with the principles set out in the joint document from the Cabinet Office, Home Office and Department for Education and Employment, "Policy Appraisal for Equal Treatment", which was published in November 1998.
Family Credit
Mr. Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many families claiming family credit have (a) one child, (b) two children, (c) three children, (d) four children, (e) five children and (f) six children or more; and if he will break these numbers down by regions. [92574]
Angela Eagle: The information is in the table.
Notes:
1. Numbers are in thousands and rounded to the nearest hundred. Figures marked "*" are subject to a high degree of sampling error and should only be used as a guide to the current situation.
2. Cases are allocated to each Government Office Region by matching the postcode against the 1999 version of the Postcode Directory.
3. Children are defined as aged 0-18.
Source:
Family Credit 5 per cent. sample of awards
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26 Jul 1999 : Column: 105
Mr. Field:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what new instructions have been issued regarding counting money in claimants' current accounts as capital for the purpose of determining entitlement to housing benefit. [92575]
Angela Eagle:
We have not issued any new instructions regarding counting money in claimants' current accounts as capital for the purpose of determining entitlement to Housing Benefit. The policy remains that all holdings with a clear monetary value are treated as a claimant's capital. This includes the amount held in their current account after offsetting any amounts of income paid into the account used in the assessment of Housing Benefit entitlement.
Mr. Burstow:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what recent studies have been commissioned by the Disability Living Allowance Advisory Board relating to the needs of severely and profoundly deaf people; and what recommendations from those studies his Department has acted on. [92562]
Mr. Bayley:
The Disability Living Allowance Advisory Board (DLAAB) is an advisory body and does not itself commission work. However, in 1998 the Board was commissioned by the Department of Social Security to undertake a study on deafness in children and young adults. This work will be completed shortly.
In addition, the Department more recently commissioned the Board to undertake a study of deaf- blind people who had claimed DLA. The Department is currently acting on certain findings arising from this work, in particular recommendations on improving evidence gathering on claims from deaf-blind people and on the need to increase the understanding of the problems arising from the combination of deafness and blindness amongst those responsible for administrating Disability Living Allowance and Attendance Allowance.
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Mr. Burstow:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many members of the Disability Living Allowance Advisory Board are (a) deaf and (b) have a professional specialism in hearing impairment. [92563]
Mr. Bayley:
The Disability Living Allowance Advisory Board has one member who has a severe hearing impairment. She is consultant psychiatrist in mental health services for deaf people and has been a trustee of the Royal National Institute for Deaf People since 1996.
Mr. Salmond:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if, for each state benefit, he will forecast the number of claimants and total cost by benefit for Scotland for the next three years together with forecasts for (a) Scotland's pro-rata share of the United Kingdom administration costs and (b) budgeted costs for the central and local administration and the branch network for facilities in Scotland. [92390]
Mr. Timms:
I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the right hon. Friend the Member for Swansea, West (Mr. Williams) on 23 July 1999, Official Report, column 673.
Mr. Salmond:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the level of spending on social security in Scotland in each of the last five years (a) in total and (b) as a percentage of the United Kingdom total broken down to show spending on (i) benefit payments, (ii) Scotland's pro-rata share of United Kingdom administration costs and (iii) actual spending on central and local administration and the branch network for facilities in Scotland. [92389]
Mr. Timms:
DSS accounts for its administrative costs operationally (by Agency and Business Unit). It does not maintain accounting records by geographical territory and it is therefore not possible to provide reliable expenditure information covering all Departmental operations in the format requested. An estimate of Social Security Benefit Expenditure in Scotland in the past five years can be found in the table.
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| Year | Expenditure (£ million) | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| 1994-95 | 7,970 | 10.0 |
| 1995-96 | 8,300 | 9.9 |
| 1996-97 | 8,680 | 9.9 |
| 1997-98 | 8,920 | 10.0 |
| 1998-99 | 9,120 | 10.0 |
Notes:
1. Expenditure excludes payments of certain benefits to people living overseas.
2. Expenditure figures have been rounded to nearest £10 million.
Source:
The above figures are consistent with those published in the Departmental Report 1999.
Pensions
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what the difference was in each year since 1980 between the amount by which pensions would have increased for married couples, with the spouse as a dependent adult, if they had been based on (a) the retail prices index and (b) average earnings. [92485]
Mr. Timms: The information is in the table. Information is also provided on what the rate would have been if the link uprating by the higher of earnings or prices had been retained.
| £s per week | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Uprating date | Actual rate paid increased by Retail Prices Index | Rate if increased by Average Earnings | Rate if increased by higher of earnings or prices |
| November 1980 | 43.45 | 43.45 | 43.45 |
| November 1981 | 47.35 | 48.40 | 48.40 |
| November 1982 | 52.55 | 52.45 | 53.75 |
| November 1983 | 54.50 | 57.00 | 58.40 |
| November 1984 | 57.30 | 59.85 | 61.35 |
| November 1985 | 61.30 | 65.05 | 66.70 |
| July 1986 | 61.95 | 68.00 | 69.75 |
| April 1987 | 63.25 | 71.85 | 73.65 |
| April 1988 | 65.90 | 77.45 | 79.40 |
| April 1989 | 69.80 | 84.25 | 86.35 |
| April 1990 | 75.10 | 92.40 | 94.75 |
| April 1991 | 83.25 | 101.20 | 105.05 |
| April 1992 | 86.70 | 108.90 | 113.05 |
| April 1993 | 89.80 | 114.10 | 118.50 |
| April 1994 | 92.10 | 117.65 | 122.15 |
| April 1995 | 94.10 | 121.65 | 126.30 |
| April 1996 | 97.75 | 125.05 | 131.25 |
| April 1997 | 99.80 | 130.30 | 136.75 |
| April 1998 | 103.40 | 135.65 | 142.35 |
| April 1999 | 106.70 | 142.30 | 149.30 |
Notes:
1. The Retail Prices Index (all items) has been used as published by the Office for National Statistics
2. Average Earnings Index Whole Economy (Non Seasonally Adjusted) as published by the Office for National Statistics
3. Figures have been rounded to the nearest 5 pence at each uprating
4. Figures based on a man plus a dependent wife both aged under age 80 where the man has 100 per cent. entitlement
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