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Long-term Care
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received from Age Concern, the British Pensioners and Trade Union Action Association and other interested parties in relation to the report from the Royal Commission on long-term care for the elderly. [115304]
Mr. Hutton: A large number of representations to the Government on a variety of issues refer to long-term care. There have been 980 letters to the Department specifically focused on the Royal Commission's report. Many of the representations have broadly supported the recommendations in the Royal Commission's majority report; others have been critical and some have put forward alternative proposals.
Representatives of Age Concern have spoken to Ministers and officials on numerous occasions on Royal Commission issues.
We have received one representation from the British Pensioners and Trade Union Action Association. The East Grinstead and District branch collected 85 signatures on a petition which called for the end to means-testing of local authority funding of placements in residential care homes and nursing homes.
Mr. Jim Cunningham:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions he has had with ministerial colleagues on the report of the Royal Commission on long-term care for the elderly. [115303]
Mr. Hutton:
We have had frequent discussions with ministerial colleagues in the Department and in other Departments on the issues covered by the Royal Commission on long-term care.
Mr. Jim Cunningham:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what conclusions he has drawn concerning the report from the Royal Commission on long-term care for the elderly. [115302]
Mr. Hutton:
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced on 2 December that the Government were broadly accepting one of the Royal Commission's
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main recommendations by establishing a National Care Standards Commission. We are also implementing several of the Royal Commission's other recommendations--such as extending direct payments to people over 65. We are looking at other changes as part of the Year 2000 Spending Review, which will be completed this summer. We will then publish a White Paper.
Mr. Syms:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much the Government plans to spend from his Department's budget on unaccompanied asylum-seeking children in 1999-2000 and 2000-01. [115511]
Mr. Hutton:
The Department plans to spend £52.386 million towards reimbursing local councils with social services responsibilities the costs they have incurred in providing accommodation and support to unaccompanied asylum seeking children in 1999-2000.
It is not possible to forecast how much the Department might spend in 2000-01 as this will depend on the numbers of unaccompanied minors looked after by local councils and on the conditions of any special grant.
Ms Moran:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) in how many cases in England and Wales in each of the last three years contact or residence orders had been made by the courts in cases where children (a) were killed during contact visits with parents who had a history of domestic violence and (b) were killed in circumstances where the parents had separated due to domestic violence and were disputing contact or residence; [113947]
Mr. Boateng:
I have been asked to reply.
Just over 50 children a year in England and Wales are killed by their parents, but those killed during contact visits and in cases of disputed contact cannot be separately identified in the statistics collected centrally.
Mr. Matthew Taylor:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much his Department, its agencies and associated public bodies spent in total on extra bonuses above usual payments for staff working over the new year period; what were the (a) maximum and (b) minimum bonuses paid; how many people received the (i) maximum and (ii) minimum payments; and if he will make a statement. [104494]
Mr. Ingram:
The Northern Ireland Civil Service and Northern Ireland Office spent a total of £1,187,877 on extra bonuses for staff working over the new year period.
The maximum bonus paid was £550 and 877 people received this and the minimum bonus was £75 received by 268 people.
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The remaining expenditure was made up by a range of varying amounts between the minimum and maximum totals, depending on the individual circumstances.
Mr. Opik:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the expenditure was on Education Maintenance Allowances by each education and library board in Northern Ireland in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement. [114651]
Mr. Ingram:
Expenditure over the last three years on the maintenance element of Boarding, Maintenance and Clothing Allowances paid by each Education and Library Board in Northern Ireland is as follows:
(2) how many children have been killed in England and Wales since 1 January 1995 in circumstances where the parents had separated as a result of domestic violence and were disputing contact or residence. [113948]
| 1996-97 | 1997-98 | 1998-99 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belfast | 5,599 | 8,518 | 8,687 |
| North-eastern | 5,232 | 7,272 | 5,109 |
| South-eastern | 9,406 | 10,294 | 4,304 |
| Southern | 14,711 | 11,697 | 13,437 |
| Western | 16,521 | 11,707 | 11,654 |
| Total | 51,469 | 49,488 | 43,191 |
These allowances are not directly related to Educational Maintenance Allowance (EMAs), which are presently being piloted in a number of areas in England and Wales. The progress of these pilots will continue to be monitored by the Department of Higher and Further Education, Training and Employment and their possible application in Northern Ireland will be evaluated in due course.
Social Security Benefits
Mr. Opik: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what estimate his Department has made of the cost of restoring general student entitlement to social security benefits at current levels in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement. [114663]
Mr. George Howarth: My Department has not estimated the cost of restoring social security benefit entitlement to students generally. The primary source of financial support for full-time students comes from the education system and most full-time students are not eligible to claim income-related benefits. However, certain students in vulnerable groups, such as lone parents, can claim these benefits under the current rules.
Mr. Opik: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many students are currently in receipt of Income Support and Housing Benefit in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement. [114665]
Mr. George Howarth:
The Social Security Agency does not hold statistics in such a way as to enable us to identify the number of students currently receiving Income Support and Housing Benefit. However, available information shows that 109 students are currently in receipt of Housing Benefit.
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Zimbabwe
Mr. McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what is her Department's policy on linking and twinning arrangements between local authorities in the United Kingdom and local authorities in Zimbabwe; and what plans she has to review this policy. [114177]
Mr. Foulkes: We are not supporting any twinning arrangements with local authorities in Zimbabwe at present. We have no plans to review this. A copy of our Country Strategy Paper for Zimbabwe is available in the Library of the House.
EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT
Schoolchildren (Newcastle)
Mr. Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many children of school age resident in Newcastle are educated in (a) independent schools and (b) local education authority maintained schools outside Newcastle; and how many children from outside Newcastle are educated in schools maintained by Newcastle local education authorities. [112135]
Ms Estelle Morris [holding answer 28 February 2000]: The total number of children of school age resident in the Newcastle upon Tyne local education authority area and educated in independent schools is not collected centrally. However, in January 1999 the number of children of school age resident in the Newcastle upon Tyne local education authority area and educated in non-maintained special schools was 30 and a further 39 were receiving special educational treatment in independent schools.
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