The Rt. Hon. Sir John Major KG CH

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  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Claimants (Statistics) – 24 November 1986

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Claimants (Statistics) on 24th November 1986.

    Mr. Dobson Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will give for the latest available year the number of claimants under the Pneumoconiosis, Byssinosis and Miscellaneous Diseases Benefit Scheme who asked for a decision to be reconsidered, and the number of reconsiderations which have resulted in the reversal of a decision.

    Mr. Major In the year ending 30 June 1986 there were 12 applications by claimants for a decision to be reconsidered. One application was subsequently withdrawn and five resulted in a reversal of the decision. A decision is awaited on one application.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Asbestos – 24 November 1986

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Asbestos on 24th November 1986.

    Mr. Dobson Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what information he has as to the ability of optical microscopes to find asbestos fibres as distinct from large asbestos bodies.

    Mr. Major Asbestos bodies and a proportion of asbestos fibres can readily be identified by the use of an optical microscope. Fine uncoated fibres are difficult to find by this method because their diameters are often at or below the limits detectable by the optical microscope.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Special Medical Boards – 24 November 1986

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Special Medical Boards on 24th November 1986.

    Mr. Dobson Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services on how many occasions hon. and right hon. Members have written to him about individual findings of the special medical boards in 1985.

    Mr. Major I shall let the hon. Member have a reply as soon as possible.

    Mr. Dobson Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what advice is available to sufferers from non-malignant respiratory diseases such as asbestosis and bilateral diffuse pleural thickening in relation to applications to special medical boards.

    Mr. Major Advice is available in leaflets NI2, NI3 and NI237 issued by the Department. In addition, staff in local social security offices are always willing to give help and advice to claimants.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Mesothelioma – 24 November 1986

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Mesothelioma on 24th November 1986.

    Mr. Dobson Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what assessment he has made of the significance of the proportion of awards of industrial death benefit to cases where mesothelioma is shown on the death certificate.

    Mr. Major There are a number of reasons why industrial death benefit is not awarded in all cases where mesothelioma is shown on the death certificate. Benefit will be awarded only if the deceased was exposed to asbestos dust when working as an employed earner. Moreover, claims are not made for all such deaths. The deceased may not have left a widow, for example.

    Mr. Dobson Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services, if he will give for 1985 the number of cases of mesothelioma diagnosed by each medical board centre during the claimant’s lifetime, and the number of cases in which the claimant had died before a decision was made.

    Mr. Major There were 245 cases in 1985 where diffuse mesothelioma was diagnosed. Information about whether the decision was made in the claimant’s lifetime could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on the Attendance Allowance – 24 November 1986

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on the Attendance Allowance on 24th November 1986.

    Mr. Kirkwood Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many claims for attendance allowance have been disallowed over the past five years because claims were made after the claimants had reached the age of 66 years; and if he will estimate the increased cost for each year if these claims had been allowed.

    Mr. Major None. There is no upper age limit for the allowance.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Nursing and Residential Homes – 24 November 1986

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Nursing and Residential Homes on 24th November 1986.

    Mr. Dobson Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will give, for each year since 1978, the total social security payments supporting residents of private and voluntary nursing and residential homes, breaking the figures down into the categories (a) elderly, (b) mentally ill, (c) mentally handicapped, (d) physically handicapped and (e) others.

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

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Industrial Disablement Benefit – 24 November 1986

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Industrial Disablement Benefit on 24th November 1986.

    Mr. Dobson Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will make it his policy to collect information to determine the average length of time for which 100 per cent. industrial disablement benefit is paid.

    Mr. Major No. This would not be justified on grounds of cost.

    Mr. Dobson Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services, if he will give the number of cases in 1985 in which asbestosis accompanied by lung cancer was diagnosed by each medical board centre following a claim for industrial disablement benefit.

    Mr. Major Information is not available in the form requested. In 1985 special medical boards diagnosed eight cases of lung cancer where there was accompanying evidence of asbestosis or bilateral diffuse pleural thickening.

    Mr. Dobson Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many of the 100 per cent. disablement benefit awards made by special medical boards in 1984 were first awards as opposed to re-assessments; and how many were for asbestos-related diseases.

    Mr. Major I shall let the hon. Member have a reply as soon as possible.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Housing Benefit – 21 November 1986

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Housing Benefit on 21st November 1986.

    Mr. Stephen Ross Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when he anticipates honouring housing benefit claims submitted by district councils in respect of residents in local authority owned homes in the period prior to 28 July.

    Mr. Major The Department makes monthly payments on account to local authorities to enable them to award benefit under the housing benefits scheme, but authorities’ entitlement to subsidy is not established until after the end of the financial year when final audited claims haw been received by the Department. Authorities’ final subsidy claims for housing benefit expenditure in 1985-86, including amounts in respect of residents in local authority accommodation, were due to be submitted by 31 October and will be settled in the normal way.

    Final claims for expenditure incurred in the current financial year are not due until October 1987. In the meantime payments on account of subsidy are being withheld on certain benefit expenditure which the Department is not satisfied has been paid in accordance with the housing benefit regulations.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on the Job Training Programme – 20 November 1986

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on the Job Training Programme on 20th November 1986.

    Mr. Ernie Ross Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if those 20 long-term unemployed claimants who were invited to participate in the new Manpower Services Commission’s funded job training programme during interviews held in Dundee will be eligible for free prescriptions whilst on the scheme.

    Mr. Major Participants in the job training scheme receiving housing benefit supplement will be entitled to free prescriptions in in the same way as recipients of supplementary benefit. Other participants will be able to claim refunds on the ground of low income and if they were entitled to receive to refunds before going on the course they will continue to receive them so long as their circumstances remain unchanged.

    Mr. Ernie Ross Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if those 20 long-term unemployed claimants who were invited to participate in the new Manpower Services Commission’s funded job training programme during interviews held in Dundee will be eligible for free schools meals for their families whilst on the scheme;
    (2) if those 20 long-term unemployed claimants who were invited to participate in the new Manpower Services Commission’s funded job training programme during interviews held in Dundee will still be eligible for additional benefits such as single payments.

    Mr. Major Participants in the job training scheme receiving housing benefit supplement will be entitled to free school meals and to single payments in the same way as recipients of supplementary benefit. Other trainees will have no entitlement to single payments under supplementary benefit rules nor is there a statutory obligation on local authorities to provide free school meals on the ground of low income, although most do. However, people on the scheme found to have lost entitlement to either of these benefits will be compensated by additions to the training allowance.

    Mr. Ernie Ross Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if those 20 long-term unemployed claimants who were invited to participate in the new Manpower Services Commission’s funded job training programme during interviews held in Dundee will still he eligible for diet additions whilst on the scheme;
    (2) if those 20 long-term unemployed claimants who were invited to participate in the new Manpower Services Commission’s funded job training programme during interviews held in Dundee will still be eligible for heating allowances whilst on the scheme;
    (3) if he will make a statement setting out the benefit entitlement position of those accepting places on the new Manpower Services Commission’s funded job training programme begun in selected areas.

    Mr. Major Instead of receiving benefit, a participant in the new job training scheme will receive a training allowance which will be equal to the total amount of unemployment and/or supplementary benefit in payment immediately before the course started. This will include any dietary and heating additions paid as part of the supplementary benefit. The training allowance will be increased during the course if the person’s benefit would have been increased on a change of circumstances, but it will not be decreased if there is a change of circumstances that would have reduced or eliminated the benefit had he remained unemployed.

    Mr. Ernie Ross Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if those 20 long-term unemployed claimants who were invited to participate in the new Manpower Services Commission’s funded job training programme during interviews held in Dundee will still be eligible for certificated housing benefit whilst on the scheme.

    Mr. Major Participants in the job training scheme will not be entitled to supplementary benefit and certificated housing benefit ceases automatically when supplementary benefit stops. However, the trainees will be entitled to standard housing benefit, topped up where appropriate by housing benefit supplement, so that they will be no worse off while on the scheme.

    Mr. Ernie Ross Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if those 20 long-term unemployed claimants who were invited to participate in the new Manpower Services Commission’s funded job training programme during interviews held in Dundee who work on fuel direct schemes will still be assisted.

    Mr. Major As participants in the job training scheme will receive a training allowance instead of supplementary benefit, payments under the fuel direct schemes will no longer be possible. The training allowance will include any fuel costs previously deducted from supplementary benefit and the trainees will assume full responsibility for paying their own fuel bills, as would be the case if supplementary benefit had stopped for any other reason.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Invalid Care Allowance – 20 November 1986

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Invalid Care Allowance on 20th November 1986.

    Mr. Gale Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many claims are at present awaiting processing by the invalid care allowance unit; and what steps are being taken to expedite those claims.

    Mr. Major At 14 November 1986, the latest date for which figures are available, 76,000 claims were outstanding, of which 66,000 were from married women who were made eligible for ICA in July by the Social Security Act 1986. The Department has set up a new unit at Preston and engaged an extra 320 staff to deal with the claims. Every effort is being made to clear the current backlog of claims as quickly as possible. We expect the majority of these to be cleared by early in the new year.

    Mr. Freud Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list information available to him on the European Economic Community countries in which widows are eligible to claim invalid care allowance in respect of members of their family.

    Mr. Major The United Kingdom is the only European Community country which provides an invalid care allowance, as distinct from attendance allowance paid to the invalid person. Widows are eligible to claim invalid care allowance in the United Kingdom, although receipt of the allowance may reduce other social security benefits in payment, including widows’ benefits.