Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Maternity Payments – 25 February 1987

February 25, 1987 admin 1987

Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Maternity Payments on 25th February 1987.

Mr. Raynsford Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many women in Fulham claimed the maternity grant in the last year for which figures are available.

Mr. Major Information on the number of claimants to maternity grant is not available in the precise form requested.
The Fulham constituency is covered by the Department’s offices at Chelsea and Kensington although their boundaries are not conterminous with the constituency. Claims for these offices are dealt with at Aldershot out-station. A total of 3,085 maternity grant claims were dealt with at that office during the 1986 calendar year but this number includes claims proper to other offices.

Mr. Raynsford Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many women in Hertfordshire, West received maternity allowance in the last year for which figures are available.

Mr. Major Information is not available in the form requested, but in the 12 months ending April 1986, the latest year for which figures are available, 1,135 claims to maternity allowance were made at Hemel Hempstead, the Department’s office which covers the constituency, although the boundaries are not conterminous.

Mr. Ray Powell Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many women in the Ogmore constituency claimed the maternity grant in the last year for which figures are available.

Mr. Major Information on the number of claimants to maternity grant is not available in the precise form requested.
The Ogmore constituency is covered by the Department’s local offices at Bridgend and Rhondda West and their boundaries are not conterminous with the constituency. The number of claims for maternity grant received at those local offices during the 1986 calendar year was as follows:

Office | Number
Bridgend | 1,787
Rhondda West | 860

Mr. Ray Powell Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many women in the Ogmore constituency received maternity allowance in the last year for which figures are available.

Mr. Major Information is not available in the form requested, but in the 12 months ending April 1986, the latest year for which figures are available, 1,217 claims to maternity allowance were made at Bridgend and 434 claims at Rhondda West, the Department’s offices which cover the constituency, although the boundaries are not conterminous.

Mr. Flannery Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services which of the items previously included as essential under the single payment regulations will not be included in the new maternity payment.

Mr. Major No items are specifically excluded. Recipients of the new maternity payment will be free to spend the money as they wish.

Mr. Ashton Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many women in Bassetlaw constituency claimed maternity grant in the last year for which figures are available; and how many women are expected to qualify for a maternity payment from the Social Fund after April 1987, assuming that the number of births remains constant.

Mr. Major Information on the number of claimants to maternity grant is not available in the precise form requested.
The Bassetlaw constituency is covered by the Department’s local office at Worksop, although its boundaries are not conterminous with the constituency. The number of claims for maternity grant received at the Worksop local office during the 1986 calendar year was 1,476.

It is not possible to predict how many women will qualify for a maternity payment from the Social Fund after April 1987.

Mr. Ashton Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many women in the Lincoln constituency claimed maternity grant in the last year for which figures are available; and how many women are expected to qualify for maternity payment from the Social Fund after April 1987, assuming that the number of births remains constant.

Mr. Major Information on the number of claimants to maternity grant is not available in the precise form requested.
The Lincoln constituency is covered by the Department’s local offices at Lincoln (Orchard Street) and Lincoln (Newland), although their boundaries are not conterminous with the constituency. The numbers of claims for maternity grant received at the 2 Lincoln local offices during the 1986 calendar year were as follows:

Office | Number
Lincoln (Orchard Street) | 2,004
Lincoln (Newland) | 1,254

It is not possible to predict how many women will qualify for a maternity payment from the Social Fund after April 1987.

Mr. Ashton Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many women in Nottingham claimed maternity grant in the last year for which figures are available; and how many women are expected to qualify for a maternity payment from the Social Fund after April 1987, assuming that the number of births remains constant.

Mr. Major Information on the number of claimants to maternity grant is not available in the precise form requested.

However, the number of claims for maternity grant received at the Department’s four Nottingham local offices during the 1986 calendar year were as follows:

It is not possible to predict now many women will qualify for a maternity payment from the Social Fund after April 1987.

Dr. Gilbert Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many women in Dudley received maternity allowance in the last year for which figures are available.

Mr. Major Information is not available in the form requested, but in the 12 months ending April 1986, the latest year for which figures are available, 1,593 claims to maternity allowance were made at Dudley North and 1,057 claims at Dudley South, the Department’s offices which cover Dudley, although the boundaries are not conterminous.

Dr. Gilbert Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many women in Dudley claimed the maternity grant in the last year for which figures are available.

Mr. Major Information on the number of claimants to maternity grant is not available in the precise form requested.
However, the number of claims for maternity grant received at the Department’s Dudley local offices during the 1986 calendar year was as follows:

Office | Number
Dudley North | 2,555
Dudley South | 1,616