Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Mrs Agnes Scott on 8th April 1986.
Mr. Eadie Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when he expects to reply to the hon. Member for Midlothian’s letter to him concerning the case of 95-
Mr. Major I wrote to the hon. Member today.
Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Benefit (London South Region) on 8th April 1986.
Mr. Barnett Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what was the average time taken to process postal applications for benefit in each office located in the London south region in the latest period for which figures are available;
(2) what is the average time taken to process applications for benefit in each office of his Department located in the London south region; what is the number of outstanding visits on the latest available date in each office in the London south region; and how many visits have been abandoned during the latest month for which figures are available in each office in the London south region.
Mr. Major Tables setting out the latest available information on processing benefit applications and in respect of supplementary benefit home visits for each local office in London south region have been placed in the Library.
Mr. Barnett Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many postal claims for benefit were outstanding in each office in the London south region on the latest date for which figures are available.
Mr. Major Tables setting out the available figures of outstanding postal benefit claims on 11 March 1986 have been placed in the Library.
Mr. Barnett Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what comparison his Department has undertaken of current pay levels of staff employed in offices of his Department located in the London south region in relation to pay levels in comparable employment in the region.
Mr. Major None.
Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Income Support on 8th April 1986.
Mr. Ralph Howell Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will give details of the income support available to British subjects who had been working but had become unemployed in each of the following countries: (a) France, (b) West Germany, (c) Italy, and (d) Eire.
Mr. Major The European convention on social and medical assistance to which France, West Germany, Italy, the Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom are signatories, provides that nationals of countries which are parties to the convention, who are lawfully present in another signatory’s country without means, are entitled to social assistance on the same basis as that country’s own nationals. Information on social assistance benefits is contained in section IX of the Department’s publication, “Tables of Social Benefit Systems in the Member States of the European Communities, Portugal and Spain (Position at 1 January 1985)”, a copy of which is available in the Library.
A United Kingdom national who has been employed and becomes unemployed in France, West Germany, Italy or the Republic of Ireland may qualify for unemployment benefit on the same basis and subject to the same conditions as a national of the particular member state concerned. For these purposes the insurance record in the United Kingdom may be taken into account under arrangements in European Community legislation. Details of the basic conditions that have to be satisfied and of the rates of benefit payable in EC member states are given in section VII of the tables to which I have referred.
Mr. Ralph Howell Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what information he has as to the income support available to British subjects who were visitors in each of the following countries if they found themselves without any money: (a) France, (b) West Germany, (c) Italy and (d) Eire.
Mr. Major Such information as is available is contained in the Department’s publication, “Tables of Social Benefit Systems in the Member States of the European Communities, Portugal and Spain (Position at 1 January 1985)”, a copy of which is in the Library. As section IX of that publication indicates, there is no statutory right to assistance in France or Italy for people who are not residents of those countries. The supplementary welfare allowance payable in Ireland is shown in section IX as available to residents only, but our latest information is that a condition of residence is not essential.
Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Housing Benefit on 8th April 1986.
Sir Peter Hordern Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement about the treatment of home income plans for the purpose of calculating housing benefit entitlement.
Mr. Major The current guidance to local authorities, consolidated in a manual issued last summer, reflects the legal advice we have received on how home income plans should be treated when assessing entitlement to housing benefit. We have received a number of representations suggesting an alternative approach, which would require an amendment to the Housing Benefits Regulations, and are considering the position. We expect to be able to announce the outcome in the near future.
Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Press Office (Information) on 27th March 1986.
Mrs. Renée Short Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what guidelines are issued by the press office of his Department to managers of his Department’s local offices in respect of communicating information to journalists.
Mr. Major Social security local office managers are encouraged to maintain contact with their local press and, within the strict constraints of claimant confidentiality, to provide information about the social security system and the work of their offices.
Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Departmental Office (Regent Street) on 27th March 1986.
Mr. Wareing Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when the Minister for Social Security and the Disabled is expected to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Liverpool, West Derby of 13 February on the work of the Westminster office of the Department of Health and Social Security in Regent Street.
Mr. Major I replied to the hon. Member today.
Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on War Pensions on 26th March 1986.
Mrs. Renée Short Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many second world war ex-
Mr. Major The information about backdated pensions is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. The amount of war pension for damage to eyes depends upon the extent of the damage. The current pension for loss of vision of one eye, without complications or disfigurement and the other being normal, is £18.75 a week. Pension for total loss of sight is £62.50 a week. Supplementary war pension allowances may be payable in addition to these amounts.
Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Mr J Edwards on 26th March 1986.
Mr. Ashley Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish in the Official Report the reasons why the war pension case of Mr. J. Edwards of Stoke on Trent, which was referred to his Department in October 1985, has not yet been resolved.
Mr. Major On 27 January 1986 Mr. Edwards and the Department made a joint application to the president of the pensions appeal tribunals for the decision of the tribunal in Mr. Edwards’ case to be set aside. The president advised Mr. Edwards and the Department of his decision on 6 February 1986. There is no further action for the Department to take in this matter.
Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Mr LH Hulley on 26th March 1986.
Mr. Heddle Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will investigate the reason why the Department of Health and Social Security records division at Newcastle upon Tyne has not yet replied to a letter dated 22 January from Mr. L. H. Hulley of 48 Burnthill Lane, Rugeley requesting details of contributions paid from April 1974 to April 1977.
Mr. Major It is the responsibility of DHSS local office staff to deal with inquiries of this nature. The letter dated 22 January was received by DHSS records branch Newcastle on 24 January and forwarded to the DHSS local office at Cannock to answer. After inquiries were made a reply was issued on 18 March 1986.
Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Crown Copyright on 25th March 1986.
Mr. Kirkwood Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services why he has arranged for the footnote © crown copyright to appear on certain recent circulars from his Department; and whether this illustrates a general change of policy.
Mr. Major This inclusion of the © Crown copyright legend on circulars issued by the Department of Health and Social Security follows recent correspondence from HMSO which acted as a reminder that all material published by Government is Crown copyright.