The Rt. Hon. Sir John Major KG CH

Author: admin

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Personal Records – 13 January 1986

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Personal Records on 13th January 1986.

    Mr. Cohen Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what action is being taken to tighten up security of personal records kept by his Department on individuals and procedures for disclosing such information on the telephone; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr. Major A review of standing instructions about disclosure of information has been completed and revised instructions to staff on the protection of personal information held in Departmental records are being issued. These include additional guidance on the disclosure of information by telephone.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Departmental Staff – 13 January 1986

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Departmental Staff on 13th January 1986.

    Mr. Deakins Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what estimate he has made of changes in the work load of his Department’s local office staff since 1979.

    Mr. Major There has been a large number of changes in work loads and procedures both in supplementary benefit and contributory benefits since 1979. These have involved variously both reduced and increased activity and their net effect on the national complement has been a reduction of 4,229 posts.

    Mr. Skinner Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many jobs have been lost in his Department’s offices in the east Midlands since May 1979.

    Mr. Major I assume that the hon. Member is referring to those offices which were in the Department’s east Midlands and East Anglia region before re-organisation in August 1982.

    In May 1979 the complement for these offices was 3,465. The present complement is 3,559.5.

    Mr. Skinner Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will now increase the number of typists working in local offices of his Department by at least 2,000 extra posts; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr. Major No. Such a proposal forms part of a bid for over 15,000 additional staff made recently by the Departmental trade union side which is currently being considered.

    Mr. Skinner Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will now increase the number of special case officers working in local offices of his Department by at least 200 posts; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr. Major No. Such a proposal forms part of a bid for over 15,000 additional staff made recently by the Departmental trade union side and which is currently being considered.

    Mr. Skinner Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many local offices of his Department in England now use staff to handwrite rather than type letters to claimants.

    Mr. Major All local offices of the Department of Health and Social Security make use of both handwritten and typed letters to claimants. The Department prefers individual letters to be typed, but often a handwritten letter or the completion by hand of a pre-printed standard letter or form, is the quickest and simplest way to make an inquiry or to provide information.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Retirement Pensions – 20 December 1985

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Retirement Pensions on 20th December 1985.

    Mr. Andrew Bowden Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what would be the cost of providing a retirement pension equal to that currently payable to British citizens in the United Kingdom (a) to all British retirement pensioners resident in the Republic of South Africa, and (b) to those aged 75 years and over;

    (2) what would be the cost of providing a widow’s pension equal to that currently payable to British citizens in the United Kingdom (a) to all British widows resident in the Republic of South Africa, and (b) to those aged 75 years and over.

    Mr. Major The cost of paying full retirement and widows’ pensions to pensioners resident in the Republic of South Africa is estimated as £9.5 million a year at current rates of benefit. Separate estimates for the cost of each benefit, for the costs in relation to British citizens only, or for pensions payable to those aged 75 and over are not available.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Supplementary Benefits – 20 December 1985

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Supplementary Benefits on 20th December 1985.

    Mr. Soley Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what were the total estimated amounts defrauded from supplementary benefits for each year from 1979.

    Mr. Major No reliable estimate is available of the extent of supplementary benefit fraud.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Benefit Claimants – 20 December 1985

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Benefit Claimants on 20th December 1985.

    Mr. Caborn Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what criteria is adopted by his Department for visiting claimants of benefits at home;

    (2) how claimants are selected for interview at home by his Department.

    Mr. Major Details to support a claim to supplementary benefit made by a pensioner or someone not required to sign on at the unemployment benefit office, ray be taken at an interview in the claimant’s home if the claimant prefers this to filling in a postal claim form. At present most claimants who make a claim by post are visited within six months of their claim to check that benefit entitlement has been correctly assessed; thereafter most claimants are visited every three years for the same purpose.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Housing Benefit – 19 December 1985

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Housing Benefit on 19th December 1985.

    Mr. Gordon Brown Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will estimate the cost of housing benefit in (a) 1985-86, (b) 1986-87, (c) 1987-88, (d) 1988-89 and (e) 1989-90, respectively.

    Mr. Major The figures for the total cost of housing benefit underlying the last public expenditure White Paper (Cmnd. 9428) published in January 1985, are £4,330 million in 1985-86, £4,500 million in 1986-87 and £4,600 million in 1987-88 including rate rebates which do not count as public expenditure. Up to date estimates for those years, and an estimate for 1988-89 will be included in the next public expenditure White Paper to be published in January.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Benefit Claimants – 18 December 1985

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Benefit Claimants on 18th December 1985.

    Mr. Caborn Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what proportion of (a) single claimants and (b) couples were interviewed in connection with their claims for Department of Health and Social Security payments at home nationally and in the Sheffield district in the last three years.

    Mr. Major The information requested is not available. Statistics kept on home visits do not differentiate between single claimants and couples. However, the total numbers of effective visits made in the last three years were as follows:

    Year Ending | Nationally | The Four Sheffield Offices

    April 1983 | 3,370,575 | 40,880

    April 1984 | 3,515,234 | 38,413

    April 1985 | 2,999,693 | 34,398

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Post Office (Lost Business) – 18 December 1985

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Post Office (Lost Business) on 18th December 1985.

    Mr. Colvin Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what business he plans to offer to the Post Office to replace that lost by the transfer of benefit payments to automated credit transfer; and what account he has taken of representations on this matter, received subsequent to the 1979 Rayner report from bodies representing rural interests.

    Mr. Major We have already transferred the issue of milk tokens to the Post Office and will continue to offer it business provided it is an efficient way of meeting the requirements of the Department and the needs of beneficiaries. Our aim is to provide a cost-effective payment service whilst keeping under review the effect on the Post Office of the growth in payments by automated credit transfer and the needs of beneficiaries in rural areas.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Form F.ID – 17 December 1985

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Form F.ID on 17th December 1985.

    Mr. Weetch Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the average time taken to process the form F.ID; and what is the average cost of such processing.

    Mr. Major It is estimated that the average staff time taken by local social security offices to process form F.ID is 45 minutes and that the average staff cost of such processing is £6.20.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Local Offices (Interviewing Boards) – 17 December 1985

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Local Offices (Interviewing Boards) on 17th December 1985.

    Mr. Caborn Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if any guidelines are issued to interviewing boards for persons applying for posts in local Department of Health and Social Security offices.

    Mr. Major Comprehensive guidelines, issued by the Civil Service Commission, are given to members of local recruitment boards in the Department. Issues covered by the guidelines include personal preparation, the general principles of selection, aspects of interviewing and assessment and the importance of avoiding discrimination of any kind.