| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
Special Educational Needs
Mr. Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment when the special educational needs and disability in education Bill will be introduced in Parliament. [127380]
Mr. Blunkett: We are totally committed to taking forward the education recommendations of the Disability Rights Task Force (DRTF) and will legislate when parliamentary time allows, alongside our proposals to change the special educational needs framework. Our commitment to legislate on SEN was made in the Queen' Speech and remains in place. However, it has now become clear that it will not be possible to introduce a Bill this parliamentary Session.
The DRTF recommendations--crucial to our plans--were not available until December and required full consultation. Our consultation exercise on how to take forward the education recommendations of the report has revealed strong support for the broad thrust of our proposals, but there are some detailed issues which have required further consultation.
In view of the inevitable delay, and without the option of carryover, we have decided to publish a draft Bill in this parliamentary Session, giving the opportunity for comment and feedback before introduction of the Bill.
21 Jun 2000 : Column: 210W
SOCIAL SECURITY
Incomes
Mr. Welsh: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the average income in (a) cash, (b) real terms and (c) as a percentage of average earnings in (i) 1979, (ii) 1984, (iii) 1989, (iv) 1994 and (v) each year from 1994 to 2000 for (A) the UK and (B) Scotland of (1) pensioners, (2) pensioners aged over 75 years, (3) students, (4) single parents, (5) the bottom decile, (6) the top decile and (7) the disabled; and if he will make a statement. [126770]
Mr. Bayley: The information requested could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Information on average (mean and median) income of pensioner couples, single pensioners and single parents, and median incomes of the top and bottom deciles are published in the annual publication Households Below Average Income. The latest published edition, which relates to 1997-98, also contained analyses showing the position in the income distribution of pensioners by age, and students. Copies of this volume are in the Library.
Benefit Recipients
Mr. Ashdown: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people in (a) Yeovil constituency and (b) South Somerset have been in receipt of (i) Income
21 Jun 2000 : Column: 211W
Support, (ii) Disability Living Allowance, (iii) Incapacity Benefit, (iv) Unemployment Benefit, and (v) Housing Benefit in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement. [126580]
Mr. Bayley: The administration of benefits is a matter for Alexis Cleveland, the Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency. She will write to the right hon. Member.
Letter from Alexis Cleveland to Mr. Paddy Ashdown, dated 20 June 2000:
- The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to respond to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many people in (a) Yeovil constituency and (b) South Somerset have been in receipt of (i) income support, (ii) disability living allowance, (iii) incapacity benefit, (iv) unemployment benefit, and (v) housing benefit in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement.
- The data is not available in the requested format, however the information that is available is supplied in the attached tables.
- I hope this is helpful.
| Year | Yeovil PC | South Somerset LA |
|---|---|---|
| August 1998 | 5,000 | -- |
| August 1999 | 5,000 | -- |
| February 2000 | 4,900 | -- |
| February 1993 | -- | 9,900 |
| February 1994 | -- | 10,200 |
| February 1995 | -- | 10,000 |
| February 1996 | -- | 9,800 |
| February 1997 | -- | 6,900 |
| February 1998 | -- | 6,700 |
| February 1999 | -- | 6,700 |
| February 2000 | -- | 6,900 |
Notes:
1. Claimant figures have been rounded to the nearest hundred.
2. Sample size 5 per cent., therefore subject to sampling error.
3. Figures for parliamentary constituency are not available prior to August 1998.
4. Figures for South Somerset are not readily available prior to February 1993.
Source:
Income Support Statistics Quarterly Enquiry, February 1994 to February 2000.
| Year | Yeovil PC | South Somerset LA |
|---|---|---|
| May 1993 | 1,600 | 1,900 |
| May 1994 | 1,700 | 2,200 |
| May 1995 | 1,700 | 2,300 |
| May 1996 | 2,000 | 2,700 |
| May 1997 | 2,200 | 3,000 |
| May 1998 | 2,313 | 3,311 |
| May 1999 | 2,447 | 3,494 |
Notes:
1. Figures relate to 31 May.
2. Figures based on a 5 per cent. data for years up to 1997 and on 100 per cent. data for years 1998 and 1999.
3. Figures prior to 1993 not available. Disability Living Allowance was introduced in April 1992.
Source:
DSS Information Centre
21 Jun 2000 : Column: 212W
| South Somerset | |
|---|---|
| 31 May 1996 | 2,600 |
| 31 May 1997 | 2,700 |
| 31 May 1998 | 2,600 |
| 31 May 1999 | 2,500 |
| 30 November 1999 | 2,700 |
Notes:
1. These figures are taken from a 5 per cent. sample of the benefit computer system, and exclude a small number of cases held clerically. All the May figures for South Somerset are subject to a rating factor to account for missing postcodes. The figures are rounded to the nearest hundred.
2. Figures for parliamentary constituency are not available. Figures for South Somerset are not readily available prior to May 1996.
3. Incapacity Benefit replaced Sickness Benefit and Invalidity Benefit in April 1995.
Unemployment Benefit
No figures are available for Unemployment Benefit by either Parliamentary Constituency or Local Authority however figures for Jobseekers Allowance are provided in the table below.
Unemployment benefit ceased on 6th October 1996 and Jobseekers Allowance began from 7th October 1996.
| Year | Yeovil PC | South Somerset LA |
|---|---|---|
| August 1998 | 1,300 | -- |
| August 1999 | 1,000 | -- |
| August 2000 | 1,000 | -- |
| August 1997 | -- | 2,100 |
| February 1998 | -- | 1,600 |
| February 1999 | -- | 1,600 |
| February 2000 | -- | 1,500 |
Notes:
1. Claimant figures have been rounded to the nearest hundred. Sample size 5 per cent., therefore subject to sampling error.
2. Jobseeker's Allowance replaced Income Support for the unemployed in October 1996.
3. Figures are for all claimants including those with nil benefit.
Source:
Jobseeker's Allowance Statistics Quarterly Enquiry, August 1997 to February 2000
| Number of people in receipt of Housing Benefit | |
|---|---|
| May 1990 | 8,470 |
| May 1991 | 9,380 |
| May 1992 | 8,770 |
| May 1993 | 8,400 |
| May 1994 | 7,810 |
| May 1995 | 8,940 |
| May 1996 | 9,030 |
| May 1997 | 8,930 |
| May 1998 | 8,530 |
| May 1999 | 8,170 |
Notes:
1. Information refers to the number of benefit units.
2. The figures are rounded to the nearest ten.
The number of people in receipt of Housing Benefit for the years from 1990 to 1999 in the Yeovil constituency is unavailable, as the data are not collected at this level.
Source:
Housing Benefit Management Information System, quarterly 100 per cent. case load stock-counts, taken on the last working day in May 1990 to May 1997 and on the second Thursday of May 1998 and May 1999.
21 Jun 2000 : Column: 213W
Pension Schemes
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people lost pension entitlements because their company pension schemes were underfunded and were wound up in each year since 1990. [126412]
Mr. Rooker: The Pension Schemes Registry indicates that since April 1997, the first date at which reliable information is available, a total of about 22,500 occupational pension schemes have been recorded as having wound up. However, no information is available as to how many of these schemes are salary-related schemes that were underfunded on wind-up.
Home Responsibility Protection
Mr. Rooney: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if time spent as a foster parent qualifies for state retirement pension under the rules of home responsibility protection. [126913]
Mr. Rooker: Foster parents do not receive Child Benefit in respect of foster children who are deemed to be in the care of the local authority. Consequently, foster parents are not currently eligible for Home Responsibilities Protection in respect of their foster caring role.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |