The Rt. Hon. Sir John Major KG CH

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  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Supplementary Benefit – 15 July 1986

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Supplementary Benefit on 15th July 1986.

    Mr. Barry Jones Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many people claimed supplementary benefit in Alyn and Deeside constituency in (a) 1979 and (b) 1985; what percentage change that represents; and what was the percentage change in (i) staff handling supplementary benefit and (ii) all staff at the local offices of his Department over the same period.

    Mr. Millan Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if he will give the figures for the number of claimants of supplementary benefit in the Govan constituency at the most recent date for which figures are available and comparable figures for 1979; and what percentage change the latest figures represent;
    (2) what were the numbers of staff employed on supplementary benefit work in his Department’s local offices in the south-west of Glasgow at the latest available date; and if he will give comparative figures for 1979.

    Mr. Nellist Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many people claimed supplementary benefit at the latest available date in 1986 and the comparable month in 1979 at each of the Coventry offices of his Department; what percentage change that represents; and what was the change in numbers and in percentage terms in the staff handling supplementary benefit and in all staff at those offices for the same period.

    Mr. Bermingham Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many people claimed supplementary benefit in the St. Helens, South constituency in (a) 1979, and (b) 1985; what percentage change this represents; and what was the percentage change in (i) staff handling supplementary benefit and (ii) all staff at the local offices of his Department for the same period.

    Mr. Lambie Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many people claimed supplementary benefit in Cunninghame, South constituency in (a) 1979 and (b) 1985; what percentage change this represents; and what was the percentage change in (i) staff handling supplementary benefit and (ii) all staff at the local offices of his Department for the same period.

    Mr. Major I shall let the right hon. and hon. Members have replies as soon as possible.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on the Gaelic Language – 15 July 1986

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on the Gaelic Language on 15th July 1986.

    Mr. Donald Stewart Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list the leaflets and forms which his Department prints in Gaelic or in a bilingual English/Gaelic format.

    Mr. Major A version of the combined explanatory leaflet and claim form for supplementary benefit (SB1) is available in Gaelic.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Housing Benefit – 15 July 1986

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Housing Benefit on 15th July 1986.

    Mr. Raynsford Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what progress has been made by his Department in its consultations with representatives of local authorities on the detailed arrangements for the new housing benefit scheme; and when he expects to be able to publish firm proposals in respect of (a) certification and liaison between authorities and his Department, (b) service charges, (c) amenity charges, (d) recovery of overpayments, (e) net income assessments and (f) subsidies.

    Mr. Major Substantial progress has been made in discussion on future subsidy arrangements, and exploratory discussions are nearing completion on assessment of net income and liaison arrangements between local authorities and local social security offices.

    Our firm proposals on liaison arrangements, service and amenity charges, recovery of overpayments and net income assessment will be set out in regulations. We will consult the local authority associations on these in the usual way, before laying the regulations in draft before Parliament early next year. Firm proposals on subsidy will be set out in an order early in 1988.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Age Allowances – 14 July 1986

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Age Allowances on 14th July 1986.

    Mr. Kirkwood Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will introduce legislation to enable age allowances paid to war widows to be increased and to enable age allowances to be awarded to pensioners whose disablements are assessed at below 40 per cent.

    Mr. Major Age allowances paid to war widows will be increased on 28 July in line with price increases. We have no plans to award age allowances to war disablement pensioners whose disablement is assessed at below 40 per cent.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on War Pensions – 14 July 1986

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on War Pensions on 14th July 1986.

    Mr. Kirkwood Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) whether he is satisfied with the present clearance rate of cases at the war pensions office at Norcross;
    (2) what is the average time of clearance of individual cases dealt with by the war pensions office at Norcross for the past five years for which figures are available.

    Mr. Major Claims for war pensions are complex and can involve looking back over a period of 40 years or more. Service and medical records have to be obtained and medical examinations may have to be arranged. Even straightforward claims can thus take several weeks. During 1984, retirements, ill-health and promotions among the medical staff at Norcross caused delays. Although still not entirely satisfactory, the position has gradually improved since then and the average clearance time during the quarter ended 31 March 1986 was 22.6 weeks.

    The following table shows the average time for clearance of war pensions claims at Norcross in the last quarter of the past five years.

    Quarter ended | Time in weeks

    31 December 1981 | 17.0
    31 December 1982 | 16.5
    31 December 1983 | 16.7
    31 December 1984 | 34.3
    31 December 1985 | 24.7

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on War Pensioners and Widows – 14th July 1986

    Below is the text of the Written Parliamentary Answer on War Pensioners and Widows from 14 July 1986.

    Mr. Kirkwood asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he has any plans to relax conditions to enable regular visitations of severely disabled war pensioners and elderly widows to increase.

    Mr. Major Arrangements for regular visiting by the war pensioners’ welfare service are at present being reviewed, in consultation with representatives of war pensioners and war widows. The central advisory committee on war pensions will be consulted before any changes are made. Any war pensioner or war widow who needs help may contact the war pensioners’ welfare service at any time.

    Mr. Kirkwood asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what would be the cost of increasing the £4 disregard applied to war pensioners who claim supplementary pension to the level of £15.

    Mr. Major The available data are not sufficiently accurate to enable a precise figure to be quoted, but the best estimte that can be made is that the cost of increasing the £4 war pensions disregard to £15 would be of the order of £4 million a year. This figure takes acount of the additional claims to supplementary benefit that would result from such a change, but does not allow for the cost of making an equivalent change to the housing benefit scheme.

    Mr. Kirkwood asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he has any plans to increase the rate of pension to war widows and women aged 60 years and under in receipt of unemployability supplement or invalidity benefit; if he will estimate the cost of such a change; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr. Major The rates will be increased on 28 July in line with price increases. The cost of the increase in war widows pensions is £2 million in a full year. The cost of the increase in invalidity benefit and unemployability supplement for women aged 60 and under is £3.5 million in a full year.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Unemployment Benefit – 14 July 1986

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Unemployment Benefit on 14th July 1986.

    Mr. Clay Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what would be the cost of extending the payment of unemployment benefit for a further (i) one year, (ii) two years, (iii) three years and (iv) as long as unemployment lasted; and what would be the cost if the single person’s rate of unemployment benefit were increased by £7.35.

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

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Labour Statistics (Liverpool) – 14 July 1986

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Labour Statistics (Liverpool) on 14th July 1986.

    Mr. Field Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services why, in answer to the hon. Member for Birkenhead on 15 May, Official Report, column 527, the total number of unemployed claimants in the city of Liverpool in November 1985 was given as 32,100 when figures published by the Department of Employment for the same date gave a total of 56,421.

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

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Basildon Local Office – 14 July 1986

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Basildon Local Office on 14th July 1986.

    Mr. Proctor Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when the windows in his Department’s office in Basildon were last cleaned; why they are not cleaned more regularly; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr. Major The windows of Basildon integrated local office are cleaned internally monthly. A solution to the long-standing problem of external cleaning is under consideration by the Department.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Low Income Families – 14 July 1986

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Low Income Families on 14th July 1986.

    Mr. Gordon Brown Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will now publish the 1983 low income families table.

    Mr. Major I refer the hon. Member to my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Kensington on 8 July at column 157.