The Rt. Hon. Sir John Major KG CH

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  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Severe Weather Payments – 8 April 1987

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Severe Weather Payments on 8th April 1987.

    Mr. Ernie Ross Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many applications for severe weather payments have been made in Dundee since 1 January; and how many applications have been granted.

    Mr. Major Information concerning the number of applications made in Dundee for exceptionally cold weather payments is not available. However, for the period from 1 January 1987 to 10 March 1987, the latest date for which figures are available, the two Dundee local offices made approximately 8,000 £5 weekly payments.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Handicapped People (Respite Care) – 7 April 1987

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Handicapped People (Respite Care) on 7th April 1987.

    Mr. Evennett Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he has any plans to alter the provision of short-term respite care for the handicapped in England and Wales.

    Mr. Major We recognise the potential value to families with a handicapped member and to the handicapped person of respite or short-term care. This can be provided in the family’s own home, by substitute families or in residential accommodation (often in small units in the community) run by health or local authorities or by private or voluntary organisations. It is for individual health authorities and local authorities to determine in the light of local needs and priorities the appropriate level and pattern of services within available resources.
    The National Institute for Social Work’s working party, under the chairmanship of Lady Wagner, is currently reviewing the role of residential care (including respite care) and the range of services given in statutory and independent residential establishments and considering what changes are required to enable the residential care sector to respond more effectively to changing social needs. The working party’s report is expected in early 1988.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Pensioners (Electricity Expenditure) – 7 April 1987

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Pensioners (Electricity Expenditure) on 7th April 1987.

    Mr. Adley Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what information his Department has collected on the proportion of expenditure by pensioners on the state pension which goes on electricity.

    Mr. Major The latest available information shows that pensioners’ expenditure on electricity in 1985 represented 4.3 per cent. of their total average weekly expenditure.

    (Note – figures are derived from the 1985 Family Expenditure Survey and are for all pensioner income units, i.e. single pensioners and couples where the man is over 65.)

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Income Support – 7 April 1987

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Income Support on 7th April 1987.

    Mr. Kennedy Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement on the financial implications for claimants aged under 25 years of age of the proposed income support scheme.

    Mr. Major The precise effects will not be known until the rates of income support are set later this year. Some general illustrations are shown in table 11B of the technical annex to the White Paper “Reform of Social Security (Cmnd. 9691), a copy of which is in the Library.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Maternity Payments – 7 April 1987

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Maternity Payments on 7th April 1987.

    Mr. Barron Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many women in the Rother Valley constituency claimed maternity grant in the latest year for which figures are available.

    Mr. Major Information is not available in the form requested.

    The Rother Valley constituency is covered by the Department’s local offices at Rotherham North and Rotherham South, although their boundaries are not conterminous with the constituency. The numbers of claims for maternity grant received at the two Rotherham local offices during the 1986 calendar year were as follows:

    Area | Number
    Rotherham North | 769
    Rotherham South | 2,577

    Mr. Barron Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many women in the Colne Valley constituency claimed maternity grant in the latest year for which figures are available.

    Mr. Major Information is not available in the form requested.

    The Colne Valley constituency is covered by the Department’s local office at Huddersfield, although its boundaries are not conterminous with the constituency. The number of claims for maternity grant received at the Huddersfield local office during the 1986 calendar year was 2,651.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Disabled Persons – 7 April 1987

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Disabled Persons on 7th April 1987.

    Mr. Wareing Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what plans he has to implement section 7 of the Disabled Persons (Services, Consultation and Representation) Act 1986.

    Mr. Alfred Morris Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a further statement about the Government’s intentions in relation to sections 5 and 6 of the Disabled Persons (Services, Consultation and Representation) Act 1986.

    Mr. Major I discussed how best to proceed towards the further implementation of the Disabled Persons (Services, Consultation and Representation) Act with representatives of the local authority associations on 24 February. It was agreed that urgent discussions at official level should proceed to determine more realistic estimates of the costs of those parts of the Act which have resource implications, including sections 5, 6 and 7. I agreed to meet the associations to review progress in May.

    Mr. Thurnham Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he is considering further proposals to help the disabled; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr. Major The Government will continue to seek opportunities to build upon their record of improved provision for disabled people. The full results of the survey of disabled people being carried out by the Office of Population, Censuses and Surveys are expected to be published in 1988 and will provide us with evidence relevant for a review of benefit provision for sick and disabled people.

    Mr. Alfred Morris Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what further representations he has received on the implementation of the Disabled Persons (Services, Consultation and Representation) Act 1986.

    Mr. Major Since my reply to the hon. Member for Caernarvon (Mr. Wigley) on 1 April at column 521 another 33 written representations have been received from organisations or individuals relating to implementation of the Disabled Persons (Services, Consultation and Representation) Act 1986.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Pensioners (Incomes) – 7 April 1987

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Pensioners (Incomes) on 7th April 1987.

    Mr. Andrew Bowden Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what estimate his Department has made of the percentage increase in real terms of pensioners’ incomes from savings since 1979.

    Mr. Major Pensioners’ incomes from savings grew in real terms by 52.5 per cent. between 1979 and 1985, the latest date for which figures are available.

    (Note – figures are obtained from the Family Expenditure Survey and relate to pensioner tax units i.e. single pensioners and married couples where the husband is over 65.)

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Unemployed Persons (Mortgage Interest) – 7 April 1987

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Unemployed Persons (Mortgage Interest) on 7th April 1987.

    Mr. Hoyle Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how much he expects to save by the changes in the regulations on payment of mortgage interest for the unemployed; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr. Major The estimated saving from the recent changes to the regulations on the amount included in supplementary benefit for mortgage interest for new claimants under 60 is £38 million in the year 1987-88, based on the latest available information.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on the Social Fund – 7 April 1987

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on the Social Fund on 7th April 1987.

    Mrs. Beckett Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when he expects to publish guidelines for the operation of the social fund.

    Mr. Major Draft directions and guidance were sent to interested organisations on 25 March, and I refer the hon. Member to my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Lancashire, West (Mr. Hind) on 25 March at column 211. The final version of the directions and guidance will be published nearer the introduction of the second phase of the social fund in April 1988.

    Mr. Fisher Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when he expects to be able to indicate the criteria on which budgets for local offices will be set for the social fund.

    Mr. Major I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Members for Sheffield.. Heeley (Mr. Michie), for Barking (Ms. Richardson) and for Leyton (Mr. Cohen) earlier today.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Severe Disability Premium – 7 April 1987

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Severe Disability Premium on 7th April 1987.

    Mr. Matthew Taylor Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement on the proposed level of severe disability premium.

    Mr. Major The proposal is to set it at the same level as invalid care allowance. That rate is currently £23.25; the actual rate payable from April 1988 would be determined nearer the time.