The Rt. Hon. Sir John Major KG CH

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  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Non-UK European Community Citizens – 1 July 1986

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Non-UK European Community Citizens on 1st July 1986.

    Mr. Patrick Thompson Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many non-United Kingdom European Community citizens have drawn social security benefits during a visit lasting less than six months in the period April to October 1985.

    Mr. Major I assume my hon. Friend is referring to claims for supplementary benefit, of which there were approximately 1,000 in the first seven months of 1985. More recent figures are not yet available and records are not kept of the period a claimant to benefit has spent in this country prior to making his claim.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Pensioners (Residential Homes) – 1 July 1986

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Pensioners (Residential Homes) on 1st July 1986.

    Mr. Wigley Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what representations he has received on his Department’s consultative paper on his payment of pensions to pensioners at local authority residential homes; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr. Major My right hon. Friend has received representations from seven organisations, including the Social Security Advisory Committee, the Association of Metropolitan Authorities, the Association of County Councils, the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities, the Associations of Directors of Social Work and of Services, and the Social Care Association. Their comments are being considered.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on YTS (Benefits) – 30 June 1986

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on YTS (Benefits) on 30th June 1986.

    Mr. Nellist Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many young people in (a) Coventry, (b) the West Midlands and (c) nationally, have had their benefit cut as a result of coming off the YTS prematurely or because they refused a place when offered one.

    Mr. Major Department of Employment statistics show that for the year ending April 1986, altogether 17,804 young people were disqualified from benefit for premature termination of a youth training scheme. I regret that reliable information is not available for Coventry and the West Midlands.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Legal Aid – 30 June 1986

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Legal Aid on 30th June 1986.

    Mr. Terry Fields Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many outstanding applications for finance for legal aid are on file at the Department of Health and Social Security legal aid assessment offices at Preston, Lancashire; what is the average period of time taken to process such claims; if he has plans to increase staff at the office: and if he will make a statement.

    Mr. Major There are 54,845 outstanding applications for finance for legal aid on file at the Department’s legal aid assessment office at Preston, Lancashire. Information on the time taken to process such claims is not available in the form requested by the hon. Member, however, 59 per cent. of applications are cleared within six weeks of registration at the office. Staffing levels were increased from 292 to 313 in April 1986. There are no plans for any further increase, but a staffing survey is planned for August 1986.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Dental Charges – 30 June 1986

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Dental Charges on 30th June 1986.

    Mr. Wainwright Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when he intends to make available to social security officers and dental surgeries leaflets P11 (Prescriptions) and D11 (Dental Treatment) stating the current charges for these services as uprated on 1 April; if he will give the reasons for the delay in making these leaflets available; and whether he will make a statement.

    Mr. Major Dental charges have not been increased since April 1985. Leaflet D11 (Dental Treatment) has current prices and has been widely available since then. It will be replaced in July.

    The new edition of P11 (Prescription Charges) will be available in July. A poster announcing the new prescription charges has been widely available since they were introduced in April.

    The new P11 will give details of the new charges and of the qualifying income levels for exemption from charges. These new exemption levels come into effect with the social security benefit up-rating in July. It would not have been economic to have produced a leaflet only for the period April to July 1986.

    The reform of social security benefits will align social security up-ratings with other budgetary change.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Single Payments – 30 June 1986

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Single Payments on 30th June 1986.

    Mr. Corbett Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will state (a) how many single payments have been made under regulation 28 of the Supplementary Benefit (Single Payments) Regulations for each year since November 1981 to the following categories of claimants: (i) pensioners, (ii) unemployed, (iii) sick and disabled, (iv) single parents and (v) others, (b) the cost by year and on average for each category, (c) how many of these payments have been made to the long-term unemployed, (d) how much it is expected to save by its abolition and (e) how much under or overestimation should be taken into account in the figures.

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

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Benefit Statistics – 30 June 1986

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Benefit Statistics on 30th June 1986.

    Mr. MacKenzie Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the total sum of money paid, in the form of unemployment benefit to male, female and young claimants in the last 12 months for which figures are available in Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland, respectively.

    Mr. Major The total estimated expenditure on unemployment benefit in Great Britain and Northern Ireland in the financial year 1985-86 was £1,640 million.

    A breakdown of this figure is available as follows:

    Country | £ million

    Scotland | 189
    England | 1,314
    Wales | 88
    Northern Ireland | 49

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Severe Weather Payments – 30 June 1986

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Severe Weather Payments on 30th June 1986.

    Mr. Pike Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many claims for severe weather payments have been made in the current year at his Department’s offices in Burnley; and how many were successful.

    Mr. Major Separate information on the number of claims for exceptionally severe weather payments is not collected. Information on the number of payments made this year is not yet available. When the period during which payments are likely to be made is over, local offices will be asked to make a return, so that the total number of payments can be calculated.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on EC Nationals (Social Security) – 27 June 1986

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on EC Nationals (Social Security) on 27th June 1986.

    Mr. John Mark Taylor Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement on the social security entitlements of European Economic Community visitors to the United Kingdom looking for work.

    Mr. Major European Community (EC) nationals looking for work in the United Kingdom may, if they have been receiving unemployment benefit in another EC country, continue to receive that benefit for up to 13 weeks here, subject to certain conditions laid down in EC rules. They may also claim means-tested social assistance benefits, such as supplementary benefit, under the same conditions as United Kingdom nationals. However, in these circumstances they may be asked to leave the United Kingdom on the ground that they have become a charge on public funds.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Departmental Publications (Welsh Language) – 27 June 1986

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Departmental Publications (Welsh Language) on 27th June 1986.

    Mr. Wigley Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if, pursuant to his answer of 13 June to the hon. Member for Caernarfon, Official Report, column 365, he will state what constitutes economic viability in the context of decisions on whether to print bilingual Welsh/English forms, leaflets, posters and other printed matter produced by his Department in Wales.

    Mr. Major The decision on the economic viability of translating Department of Health and Social Security forms, leaflets and posters into the Welsh language depends on the frequency of demand. If the Department receives or anticipates, regular requests for a particular item it would, as a general rule, consider this as justifying the expense of translation, reproduction and distribution to local offices. This judgment is made by local and regional management.