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British Astronauts
Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on when he expects the next British astronaut to take part in a space mission. [115192]
Ms Hewitt: Following wide consultation with industry and the science sector, the Government concluded that the provision of an astronaut did not best meet our space priorities of commercial exploitation and good space science. Within the inevitably limited funds we have available, we must prioritise in the best interests of the British space science community and industry. A British astronaut is not therefore anticipated in the near future. It is still possible, however, for British nationals to apply for overseas astronaut training schemes.
Israel (EU Agreements)
Dr. Starkey: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if, prior to the conclusion of an internationally- recognised final settlement between Israel and its Palestinian and Syrian neighbours, the Commission has authority to conclude and implement agreements on behalf of the European Community without the consent of member states that would allow the benefits of trade preferences to accrue to Israeli settlements and enterprises established in the territories occupied by Israel since 1967. [115315]
Dr. Starkey: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if Israel and the European Community established a single specific definition and interpretation of the territorial scope of their agreements' applicability prior to concluding them. [115313]
Utilities Bill
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to his answer of 10 March 2000, Official Report, column 839W, what consultations, on what dates, he held with consumer groups concerning the decision to remove the provisions concerning telecommunications and water industries from the Utilities Bill; on what date or dates he received representations from the National Consumer Council and the Consumers Association; and if he will make a statement. [115383]
Dr. Howells: There were no consultations. Representations were received from the National Consumer Council on 1 March and from the Consumers Association on 29 February.
SOCIAL SECURITY
Family Credit (Southwark)
Ms Harman:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the average payment per week of
21 Mar 2000 : Column: 473W
(a) Family Credit and (b) child care allowance via Family Credit in Southwark in the last year of Family Credit. [114839]
Angela Eagle:
It is not possible to provide a reliable estimate of the average Family Credit award at a local authority level. However, for Great Britain as a whole, the average amount of Family Credit received was £62.05 at August 1999 and, for the London Government Office Region, the average amount of Family Credit received at August 1999 was £66.16.
Within Family Credit, eligible child care is treated as a disregard and can be offset against earnings when Family Credit is calculated. Due to the relatively small numbers, it is not possible to provide a reliable estimate of the amount of child care disregard either by local authority or by region. However, for Great Britain as a whole, the average amount that recipients benefited from the child care disregard was £22.04 at August 1999.
Ms Harman:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people in Southwark were in receipt of (a) family credit and (b) the child care allowance in each of the last five years. [114835]
Notes:
1. Average weekly payment figures are based on an average of four quarters of November 1998 to August 1999.
2. Numbers are based on a 5 per cent. sample and are therefore subject to a degree of sampling error.
3. Family Credit was replaced by Working Families Tax Credit in October 1999.
4. The amount of Family Credit quoted represents the average amount for all Family Credit recipients--including those with the child care disregard.
Source:
Family Credit 5 per cent. sample of awards.
| Year | Family Credit recipients |
|---|---|
| August | |
| 1995 | 1.6 |
| 1996 | 2.0 |
| 1997 | 2.1 |
| 1998 | 2.5 |
| 1999 | 2.6 |
Notes:
1. Caseload figures are taken at a point in time for which the month is August.
2. Sample size is 5 per cent. As the numbers are based on a relatively small number of sample cases the estimates are subject to a high degree of sampling error i.e. for an estimate of 2,000 the true value will lie somewhere in the range 1,628 to 2,382.
3. Family Credit was replaced by Working Families Tax Credit in October 1999.
4. Local authorities are assigned by matching the postcode against the 1999 version 1 of the postcode directory.
5. Numbers are rounded to the nearest hundred and expressed in thousands.
Source:
Family Credit 5 per cent. sample of awards
21 Mar 2000 : Column: 474W
| Year | |
|---|---|
| August | |
| 1995 | 2.0 |
| 1996 | 2.7 |
| 1997 | 3.1 |
| 1998 | 3.7 |
| 1999 | 4.8 |
Notes:
1. Caseload figures are taken at a point in time for which the month is August.
2. Numbers are based on a 5 per cent. sample and are therefore subject to a degree of sampling error.
3. Family Credit was replaced by Working Families Tax Credit in October 1999.
4. Numbers are rounded to the nearest hundred and expressed in thousands.
Minimum Income Guarantee
Mr. Stevenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many pensioners in (a) Stoke on Trent, South parliamentary constituency and (b) the City of Stoke on Trent are in receipt of the minimum income guarantee. [115081]
Mr. Rooker: The information is in the table.
| Area | Pensioners aged 60 and over |
|---|---|
| Stoke on Trent, South parliamentary constituency | 2.9 |
| Stoke on Trent local authority | 8.3 |
Notes:
1. Samples size 5 per cent., therefore subject to sampling error.
2. Pensioners are defined as benefit units where either the claimant and/or their partner is aged 60 years or over.
3. Figures have been rounded to the nearest hundred and quoted in thousands.
Source:
Income Support Quarterly Statistical Enquiry, November 1999
Severely Disabled Children
Mr. Ennis: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what estimates he has made of the number of severely disabled children aged three and four years who will benefit from the provisions of the Welfare Reform and Pensions Act 1999 in (a) Barnsley and (b) Doncaster. [115199]
Angela Eagle: This information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is as follows.
In 2001-02, we estimate that approximately 7,000 severely disabled children aged three or four in Great Britain will become entitled to the higher rate mobility component of Disability Living Allowance (DLA). If the proportion of gainers in the areas requested were in line with the proportion of all DLA higher rate mobility recipients in these areas, about 60 children would qualify in both Barnsley and Doncaster.
21 Mar 2000 : Column: 475W
Mr. Gardiner:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security on what basis he has calculated the net average income of single pensioners at £132 per week. [115115]
Mr. Rooker:
The £132 per week figure refers to mean incomes of single pensioners from all sources, after tax payments and before housing costs have been deducted. The figure quoted is for the financial year 1997-98 and is expressed in July 1997 prices.
The figure is taken from "The Pensioners' Incomes Series 1997/8" (PI) which is based on data from the Family Resources Survey (FRS). The PI series looks at cash incomes directly received by pensioners in Great Britain. The FRS does not collect information on people living in institutions, such as prisons or nursing homes, therefore the PI series does not cover these people.
Dr. Gibson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the average payment per week of (a) Family Credit and (b) child care allowance via Family Credit in Norwich in the last year of Family Credit. [115099]
Angela Eagle:
It is not possible to provide a reliable estimate of the average Family Credit award at a local authority level. However, for Great Britain as a whole, the average amount of Family Credit received was £62.05 at August 1999 and for the East Government Office Region the average amount of Family Credit received at August 1999 was £61.29.
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