The Rt. Hon. Sir John Major KG CH

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  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Disabled People – 3 February 1987

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Disabled People on 3rd February 1987.

    Mr. Carter-Jones Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what representation his Department will be sending to the European region expert meeting on the implementation of the world programme of action concerning disabled persons at the mid-point of the United Nations Decade of Disabled Persons which will take place in Ljubljana, Yugoslavia from 10 to 13 March; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr. Major Information about the meeting has just been received and we are now considering Departmental representation.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Consultants (Fees) – 3 February 1987

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Consultants (Fees) on 3rd February 1987.

    Mr. Tim Smith Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services further to his reply to the hon. Member for Holborn and St. Pancras (Mr. Dobson) on 19 November 1986, Official Report, columns 221-222, whether he will break down the expenditure on consultants’ fees between the National Health Service and social services.

    Mr. Major The expenditure by the Department in 1984-85 and 1985-86, and the estimated expenditure for 1986-87, on fees and expenses for outside consultants is as follows:

    Year | Health matters | Social security matters (in £ million)
    1984-85 | 0.911 | 6.689
    1985-86 | 1.7 | 11.946
    1986-87 | 4.525 | 12.437

    The figures are approximate. In some cases expenditure on health/social security has been apportioned where consultants have been employed on both. The figures for health matters include social services consultancy. The figures for expenditure by individual health authorities have not been given as they are not kept centrally by the department.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Artificial Limbs – 2 February 1987

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Artificial Limbs on 2nd February 1987.

    Mr. Dobson Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many primary fittings of limbs were carried out at artificial limb and appliance centres in each month since January 1985.

    Mr. Major The figures requested are not available.

    Mr. Dobson asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many amputees were waiting for primary fittings in each month since 1985; and whether any amputations have been postponed as a result of the industrial dispute at J. E. Hanger.

    Mr. Major The figures requested are not available.

    A decision on whether an amputation is to be carried out is made by the surgeon concerned. We are not aware of any postponement of an amputation on account of the J. E. Hanger industrial dispute.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Severe Weather Payments – 2 February 1987

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Severe Weather Payments on 2nd February 1987.

    Mr. Gordon Brown Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will instruct all his offices to accept telephone applications for severe weather payments; and if he will instruct each local office to write to pensioners and others on supplementary benefit informing them that they may be eligible for severe weather payments.

    Mr. Major The Department’s local offices have already been instructed to accept claims for exceptionally cold weather payments by telephone.

    Although there are nearly 5 million supplementary benefit recipients, it is estimated that only about 1.5 million of these will qualify for exceptionally cold weather payments. It is not, therefore, proposed to instruct local offices to write to all supplementary benefit recipients about the scheme. I am, however, satisfied that, in view of the widespread publicity in national and local newspapers and on local radio, all reasonable steps have been taken to ensure that potential claimants are made aware of their entitlement.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Job Start Allowances – 30 January 1987

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Job Start Allowances on 30th January 1987.

    Mr. Frank Cook Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether people who take low-paid employment in anticipation of qualifying for job start allowances but who fail to so qualify will, if they leave their job, be treated as voluntarily unemployed and so risk having their unemployment benefit suspended for 13 weeks.

    Mr. Major I have nothing to add to my reply to the hon. Member on 18 November 1986 at column 150.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Invalid Care Allowance – 30 January 1987

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Invalid Care Allowance on 30th January 1987.

    Mr. Frank Cook Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if married and cohabiting women who now qualify for invalid care allowance, and who qualify for back-dating of that allowance, will automatically be credited in arrears with class 1 national insurance credits to the date when their period of entitlement to invalid care allowance is commenced.

    Mr. Major Yes, subject to the usual provision that married women are not entitled to credits if they have chosen to pay reduced rate national insurance contributions.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on National Insurance – 29 January 1987

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on National Insurance on 29th January 1987.

    Dr. McDonald Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will estimate the revenue effect of the national insurance contribution ceiling for employees being abolished for 1987-88.

    Mr. Major It is estimated that if the upper earnings limit for employees’ class 1 national insurance contributions were abolished in 1987-88, but retained for the contracted out rebate, the additional contribution for the full year would be £930 million.

    This figure is based on the assumptions used in the “Report by the Government Actuary on the drafts of the Social Security Benefits Up-rating (No. 2) Order 1986 and the Social Security (Contributions, Re-rating) (No. 2) Order 1986”.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on the Mobility Allowance – 29 January 1987

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on the Mobility Allowance on 29th January 1987.

    Mr. Wareing Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what representations he has received proposing the payment of mobility allowance to deaf-blind people; what his response has been; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr. Major Some deaf-blind people already receive mobility allowance. We have, however, had recent representations in support of proposals by the Disability Alliance to widen the eligibility criteria for mobility allowance, specifically to assist deaf-blind people among others. These proposals are still under consideration whilst the detailed implications are being clarified in discussion with representatives of the Disability Alliance.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Social and Community Planning Research – 29 January 1987

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Social and Community Planning Research on 29th January 1987.

    Mr. Madden Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when his Department commissioned Social and Community Planning Research to carry out a survey into how people manage when they are unemployed; when the survey started; how many people have been interviewed to date; when the survey is to be completed; what is to be the total sample; in what regions of the United Kingdom people are being interviewed; how long an average interview takes; how many people have been invited to participate; how many have refused, either prior to being interviewed, or when the interviewer called; how many interviewers are employed on the survey and how they are recruited; what is the total cost of the survey; and if he will place a copy of the survey questionnaire in the Library.

    Mr. Major Social and Community Planning research (SCPR) was commissioned on 4 July 1986 to carry out interviews on behalf of the Department in connection with a study designed to find out about the incomes and experiences of people while employed and unemployed. The sample for the survey will be taken from people who become unemployed over a four-week period in March 1987, drawn from a representative sample of about one in 10 unemployment benefit offices in all regions in Great Britain, and interviews will take place in May.

    It is hoped to achieve completed interviews for about 1,800 men and 1,250 women. The study will be very similar to an earlier DHSS study which looked at a sample of men becoming unemployed in 1978. The report of that study (“For Richer for Poorer”, HMSO 1984) is available in the Library, as are several working papers.

    Participation by those selected for interview will be voluntary and they will be given written assurances that whatever they say will be anonymous and that whether they take part or not will have no effect on any claim to benefit they may make. SCPR has carried out a pilot exercise to test the questionnaire and the sampling mechanisms and the questionnaire will be amended as a result. As the study is still in its formative stages, I am unable to be more specific in response to the hon. Member’s other points.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Disabled Persons – 29 January 1987

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Disabled Persons on 29th January 1987.

    Mr. Rowe Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what information he has as to how many local authorities’ social services departments take responsibility for the adaptation of premises for disabled persons;
    (2) what information he has about differences in practice between local authorities as regards the use of housing department funds, on the one hand, and social service department funds, on the other, to support the adaptation of premises for disabled people; and what is his assessment of the implications of such differences for the achievement of a consistent national policy in this field.

    Mr. Major Social services authorities have a duty, under section 2(1)(e) of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970, to make arrangements for the provision of assistance with, or arranging for the carrying out of, works of adaptation to the home of any disabled person who is ordinarily resident in their area, when they are satisfied that this is necessary in order to meet that person’s needs.

    Local housing authorities have powers under existing housing legislation, notably the Housing Act 1985, to improve or adapt properties in their own housing stock. They also have powers under the same legislation to make home improvement grants to owner-occupiers, landlords and tenants to help meet the cost of such adaptations.

    In the light of these provisions, it is for the local authorities concerned to decide how in practice housing adaptations for disabled people should be funded in their area. The responsibility for such funding, both for local authority and non-local authority housing, will vary from area to area. The most recent available annual figures show that 102 out of 107 local social services authorities had assisted with adaptations to non-local authority property and 47 had also assisted with adaptations to local authority property.

    We have no reason to believe that different arrangements in different local authority areas constitute, in themselves, any impediment to the provision of assistance to disabled people.

    Mrs. Shields Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when he intends to lay the commencement order for the Disabled Persons (Services Consultation and Representation) Act 1986.

    Mr. Major I have nothing to add to my reply to the hon. Members for Roxburgh and Berwickshire (Mr. Kirkwood) and for Caernarfon (Mr. Wigley) on 26 November 1986 at column 289.