Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on National Insurance Contributions on 27th February 1986.
Dr. Owen Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what the increase in employers’ total national insurance payments has been between 1979-
Mr. Major Employers’ national insurance payments show a drop in real terms between 1979-
Year | Cash terms (in £ million) | Real terms (in £ million)
1979-
*1986-
* Estimate.
The 1979-
Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Supplementary Benefit on 27th February 1986.
Ms. Harman Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many people received supplementary benefit in Watford in (a) 1979 and (b) 1983; and what percentage change that represents.
Mr. Major In December 1980 (the earliest figures available) 6,378 people were receiving supplementary benefit from the Department’s office in Watford. In December 1983 that figure had risen by 45 per cent. to 9,263.
(Source 100 per cent. count of live cases.)
Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Housing Benefit on 27th February 1986.
Mr. Deakins Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the average payment of housing benefit to pensioners receiving supplementary benefit; how much of this is attributable to rates; and by how much this average payment will be reduced as a result of recipients having to meet 20 per cent. of their rates bill out of basic income.
Mr. Major It is estimated that the average payment of housing benefit to pensioners receiving supplementary benefit was about £15 a week in May 1985, the latest date for which information is available. About £4.80 of this was attributable to domestic rates after non-
Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Supplementary Benefit on 26th February 1986.
Dr. Godman Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services, pursuant to the answer of 3 February, concerning supplementary benefit claims in Greenock and Port Glasgow, if he will state how much was paid by each office in each year since 1979-
Mr. Major I regret that no information is available about the amount of supplementary benefit paid out each year by individual local offices. Such information could be obtained only by a special exercise which would be disproportionately expensive.
Mr. Sean Hughes Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services, pursuant to his reply of 20 February, Official Report, column 317, why information relating to young supplementary benefit claimants in Knowsley is not available.
Mr. Major The Department’s local offices keep figures of supplementary benefit claimants under three headings only –
There is also an annual statistical inquiry based on a sample of cases in local offices which provides more detailed information, including estimated numbers of claimants in different age bands. However, the sample is not large enough to provide reliable estimates of individual local office figures.
Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on the Supplementary Benefits Handbook on 26th February 1986.
Mr. Frank Field Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when he expects to publish the November 1985 “Supplementary Benefit Handbook”; and if this will include an up to date guide to the Government’s board and lodging policy.
Mr. Major I refer the hon. Member to my hon. Friend’s reply the hon. Member for Birmingham, Hodge Hill (Mr. Davis) on 12 February, at column 496.
Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Form F1D on 26th February 1986.
Mr. Weetch Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) whether he will consider redesigning and simplifying the form F1D;
(2) what is the average length of time taken to process the form F1D from when it is received by the local social security office to its despatch to patient and dentist.
Mr. Major We are considering how best to redesign and simplify form F1D in connection with the social security review changes.
Statistics are not kept routinely on the average length of time taken by local offices to process this form, so that this information could be obtained only by means of a special exercise, which would be disproportionately expensive. However, a recent survey of 20 offices has shown that 80 per cent. of claims for all agency benefits were processed within three weeks.
Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on the Pensioners’ Charter on 25th February 1986.
Mr. Livsey Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what representations he has received from the National Federation of Retirement Pensioners Associations on the pensioners’ charter, a copy of which has been sent to him.
Mr. Major We have received a substantial number of representations from individual members of the National Federation of Retirement Pensioners, both directly and through hon. Members. My right hon. Friend expects shortly to meet a delegation from the national executive of the federation in order to discuss the pensioners’ charter and other issues.
Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on the Family Income Supplement (Leicester) on 25th February 1986.
Mr. Janner Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many recipients of family income supplement there were in the years 1980 to 1985 from the office of his Department in (i) Lower Hill street, Leicester and (ii) Yeoman street, Leicester.
Mr. Major I regret that this information is not available. Family income supplement claims are dealt with by one centre at Blackpool and no information is maintained about claims from particular local areas.
Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on the State Pension on 25th February 1986.
Mr. Kirkwood Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he has any plans to uprate the state basic pension to bring it more into line with the increase in earnings.
Mr. Major I refer the hon. Member to my right hon. Friend’s statement to the House yesterday at columns 680-
Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Resettlement Units on 25th February 1986.
Mr. Austin Mitchell Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what progress is being made in the consultation on the replacement of resettlement units; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Major In each of the Department’s seven social security regions review teams have been set up to consider future resettlement provision for the single homeless and rootless. The teams, with members from both statutory and voluntary organisations as well as the Department, are looking at the existing network of services and the level of demand and will make recommendations on the type and range of facilities that should replace the 15 resettlement units outside London. Five regions have produced interim reports dealing with the proposals they have received to date: local authority housing departments have been involved in most of the larger urban areas and several have expressed an interest in providing direct access hostels. In general voluntary agencies are concentrating on second stage hostels.
Officials have asked review teams to report substantively by the spring, when it is hoped to mount a national conference at which nominees from the review teams and representatives of local authority associations and national agencies dealing with the single homeless will discuss the reports and the national framework for resettlement which they suggest. Ministers will consider the recommendations arising from the exercise later this year.