The Rt. Hon. Sir John Major KG CH

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  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Invalid Care Allowance – 5 March 1987

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Invalid Care Allowance on 5th March 1987.

    Mr. Ashley Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many married women have claimed invalid care allowance; how many claims have been settled; and what is the average length of time taken to settle each claim.

    Mr. Major As at 27 February, some 106,000 claims to invalid care allowance had been received from married women of which about 53,000 had been decided. The average time taken to process a claim is currently 20 weeks. We are taking all practical steps to reduce this period.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Maternity Payments – 4 March 1987

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Maternity Payments on 4th March 1987.

    Mr. Corbyn Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many women in Islington, North claimed the maternity grant in the last year for which figures are available.

    Mr. Major Information is not available in the precise form requested. The Islington, North constituency is covered by the Department’s local offices at Finsbury Park, Highgate and Hoxton, although their boundaries are not conterminous with the constituency. The numbers of claims for maternity grant received at those local offices during the 1986 calendar year were as follows:

    Area | Number
    Finsbury Park | 1,318
    Highgate | 1,656
    Hoxton | 321

    Mr. Corbyn Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many women in Islington, North 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, the following numbers of claims to maternity allowance were made at the Department’s offices which cover Islington, North, although the boundaries are not conterminous:

    Area | Number
    Finsbury Park | 1,209
    Highgate | 1,105
    Hoxton | 695

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Energy Saving – 4 March 1987

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Energy Saving on 4th March 1987.

    Mr. Patrick Thompson Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what plans he has to ensure local health authority tenants are fully aware of the single payments for draught-proofing currently provided by his Department.

    Mr. Major Single payments for draught-proofing materials are available only to people entitled to supplementary benefit. Most health authority tenants are employed by the authority and are not therefore eligible for such payments.

    Mr. Patrick Thompson Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what arrangements he has made to ensure his Freephone DHSS service can promote the work of local neighbourhood energy action projects by way of local referrals;
    (2) what plans he has to ensure that those claiming severe weather payments can also claim single payments for draught-proofing where the work can be done by local neighbourhood energy action groups.

    Mr. Major I shall let my hon. Friend have replies as soon as possible.

    Mr. Patrick Thompson Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what arrangements he has made to promote the Energy Efficiency Office’s Monergy Save Freepost and Monergy Linkline service to claimants of supplementary and other benefits.

    Mr. Major The Monergy hotline and freepost services are available to everyone, not just those in receipt of supplementary benefit and other benefits. Both services have been widely advertised in national and local newspapers and special promotional activities, and the hotline has also been advertised on national television.

    Mr. Patrick Thompson Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what plans he has to introduce a specific scheme to replace single payments for draught-proofing.

    Mr. Major I refer my hon. Friend to my reply to the hon. Member for Leeds, Central (Mr. Fatchett) on 13 January 1987 at column 170.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on National Disability Income – 4 March 1987

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on National Disability Income on 4th March 1987.

    Mr. Ashley Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is his policy towards a national disability income, and whether he has any proposals to introduce changes in social security provision affecting disabled people.

    Mr. Major The Government are aware of the case made for a national disability income and share the underlying aim of progress towards a more coherent system of benefits for long-term sick and disabled people as resources permit. However, it would be inappropriate to make significant changes to existing benefit provision in advance of results of the survey of disabled people currently being carried out by the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys. The results of the survey are expected to be published in 1988 and will provide the evidence for a comprehensive review of benefits for long-term sick and disabled people.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Artificial Limb Fitting – 4 March 1987

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Artificial Limb Fitting on 4th March 1987.

    Mr. Hannam Asked the Secretary of State for Social Security what studies his Department has made of the new process of computerised artificial limb fitting developed by University College, London; and if he plans to develop it for use in the artificial limb and appliance centres.

    Mr. Major The work on the computerised artificial limb fitting, carried out by the University College London, has been wholly funded by the Department. The research phase is nearing its end.

    Limb fitting companies have been invited to participate in trials of the new limb fitting system and a pilot scheme is now under way.

    Our officials and the college are seeking a commercial involvement for the manufacture of the system and its supply to the artificial limb and appliance service.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on the Social Security Act 1986 – 4 March 1987

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on the Social Security Act 1986 on 4th March 1987.

    Mr. Eastham Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what net savings will result in the financial years 1986-87 and 1987-88 from the implementation of the Social Security Act 1986.

    Mr. Major The effect of implementing the Social Security Act 1986 will be to increase benefit expenditure slightly in 1986-87 and to save some £75 million in benefit expenditure in 1987-88.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Severe Weather Payments – 3 March 1987

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Severe Weather Payments on 3rd March 1987.

    Mr. Rooker Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what representations he has received on the use of the term householder in question two of his Department’s press advertisements about extra help with fuel bills; and if he will make a statement;
    (2) if he will instruct his officials to reconsider applications for help with fuel costs made on the basis of press advertisements issued by his Department, where the applicant answered no to question two.

    Mr. Major We have received a number of representations and inquiries on this point. The advertisement asks whether the claimant is a householder because this is one of the qualifying conditions for entitlement to an exceptionally cold weather payment.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Women (Pensions) – 3 March 1987

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Women (Pensions) on 3rd March 1987.

    Mr. Hicks Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will state, for each of the past five years, the number of married women who have exercised their right of appeal for back payment of their pension entitlement on reaching the age of 60 years in respect of contributions they made whilst in regular work before 1948.

    Mr. Major I regret that the information requested is not available. Statistics relate to retirement pension generally and are not broken down more fully.

    Mr. Hicks Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will estimate the number of married women who are entitled to a pension in their own right through their insurance contributions whilst in regular work prior to 1948 but who on reaching the age of 60 years did not immediately claim this pension; and what would be the cost of meeting these back payments in full.

    Mr. Major I regret that the information requested is not available.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Attendance Allowance – 3 March 1987

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Attendance Allowance on 3rd March 1987.

    Mr. Ashley Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will introduce a third and higher rate attendance allowance to enable disabled people to pay for the care attendance they need to live outside an institution.

    Mr. Major In general, we do not intend to make significant changes in disability benefits in advance of the review we propose to undertake when we have the results of the current major survey by the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys into the numbers, circumstances and needs of disabled people. We are, however, considering with the disability organisations the future arrangements within the income support scheme for payments to severely disabled people, some of whom might otherwise be obliged to live in an institution.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Benefits – 3 March 1987

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Benefits on 3rd March 1987.

    Mr. David Atkinson Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is his Department’s estimate of the number of people receiving invalidity benefit who are of retirement age but who do not receive a full state retirement pension; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr. Major At 31 March 1985, the latest date for which figures are available, there were an estimated 72,000 men aged 65 to 69 years and 12,000 women aged 60 to 64 years receiving invalidity benefit. It is not possible to receive retirement pension in addition to invalidity benefit.

    Mr. Watts Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether the Social Security Advisory Committee has completed its review of time limits for claiming benefits and reported; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr. Major The committee’s report has been received and together with the Government’s response to its various recommendations is contained in a Command Paper (Cm. 100) published today. We are grateful to the committee for its report and to those interested parties who made representations. The recommendations achieve a rational package of measures which, with other changes in the rules governing claims to and payments of benefits, will introduce a considerable simplification in the administration of the benefits system. We propose to incorporate the revised time limits in a common set of claims and payments regulations to be laid later this year and to come into force in April 1988.