The Rt. Hon. Sir John Major KG CH

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  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Benefits – 27 November 1985

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Benefits on 27th November 1985.

    Sir Brandon Rhys Williams Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what are his latest estimates of the average, maximum and minimum times it takes to process a claim for housing benefit, distinguishing between certificated and standard housing benefit.

    Mr. Major I regret that estimates are not available. The responsibility for the administration of the housing benefit scheme rests with individual local authorities. Information about the speed with which claims are processed is not collected centrally.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Child Benefit – 26 November 1985

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Child Benefit on 26th November 1985.

    Mrs. Renée Short Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list the number of single mothers who have withdrawn claims for child benefit in each single year since 1979, the number of case papers which have been requested from benefit officers’ staff by social security fraud squad officers in each single year since 1979; and if he will list the total number of officers who have been employed by his Department as fraud squad investigators during the same period giving a breakdown of the regions of the country to which they have been assigned.

    Mr. Major [pursuant to his reply, 21 November 1985, c. 285]: I regret that the information requested concerning withdrawn claims for child benefit is not available. If the hon. Member has in mind the Department’s special claims control teams which were set up in 1981 and are the only fraud staff working in groups, the following table sets out a region by region breakdown of staff numbers for the last two years and a national total for the preceding two years. The number of case papers referred by benefit officers to the teams is not available.

    Region | 1984-85 | 1983-84 | 1982-83 | 1981-82

    North East | 32 | 28 | — | —

    Midlands | 33 | 22 | — | —

    London North | 27 | 21 | — | —

    London South | 23 | 20 | — | —

    Wales and South West | 22 | 33 | — | —

    North West | 30 | 37 | — | —

    Scotland | 22 | 14 | — | —

    National Total | 189 | 175 | 141 | 147

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on War Widows (Pensions) – 26 November 1985

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on War Widows (Pensions) on 26th November 1985.

    Mr. Amess Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will consider reviewing the financial arrangements for war widows’ pensions.

    Mr. Major War widows pensions are kept under regular review. They were increased on 25 November by seven per cent. The age allowances which are payable with war widows pensions, and which were improved significantly last year, were also increased by seven per cent. from 25 November.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on the Christmas Bonus – 25 November 1985

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on the Christmas Bonus on 25th November 1985.

    Mr. Parry Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what the 1985 Christmas bonus would be if it had been raised in line with (a) the rise in the retail price index and (b) the increase in average earnings.

    Mr. Major I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Coventry, South-East (Mr. Nellist) on 21 October at column 54.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on War Widows – 25 November 1985

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on War Widows on 25th November 1985.

    Mr. Lofthouse Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he has any plans to award the second pension to pre-31 March 1973 war widows to bring them in line with service widows after that date.

    Mr. Major No. Pensions under the war pensions scheme administered by the Department are payable on the same basis to all widows irrespective of the date of their husband’s service. The pensions which are payable, in addition. under the occupational pension scheme for the Armed Forces to the widows of men who served since 31 March 1973 are a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Age Addition – 21 November 1985

    The text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Age Addition on 21st November 1985.

    Mr. Alton Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many people are currently in receipt of the age addition; and what is the anticipated increase in eligibility over each of the next 10 years.

    Mr. Major At March 1984 some 1,670,000 people over age 80 in Great Britain were in receipt of age addition.

    It is estimated that numbers over the next 10 years will be as follows:

    Year | Number

    1985-86 | 1,710,000
    1986-87 | 1,760,000
    1987-88 | 1,810,000
    1988-89 | 1,870,000
    1989-90 | 1,910,000
    1990-91 | 1,960,000
    1991-92 | 1,990,000
    1992-93 | 2,030,000
    1993-94 | 2,070,000
    1994-95 | 2,100,000

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on National Insurance Contributions – 21 November 1985

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on National Insurance Contributions on 21st November 1985.

    Mr. Wainwright Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services to what extent remuneration of employees by way of profit-sharing is exempt from employers’ and employees’ national insurance contributions.

    Mr. Major Profits distributed by way of bonuses form part of normal earnings and are therefore liable for national insurance contributions. The Social Security (Contributions) Regulations 1979 specify conditions under which profits distributed through trust funds or certain profit-sharing schemes are disregarded for the purposes of National Insurance contributions.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Mr. J. Lowry – 21 November 1985

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Mr. J. Lowry on 21st November 1985.

    Mr. Tony Lloyd Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) when the case of Mr. J. Lowry of 62 Parkhill Avenue, Rusholme, Manchester was first referred by the local office of his Department to him for a decision concerning an ex-gratia payment;

    (2) when he expects to respond to the letter from the hon. Member for Stretford of 8 October concerning Mr. J. Lowry.

    Mr. Major The case of Mr. Lowry was first received by officials for consideration of an ex-gratia payment on 4 March. I hope to be able to give the hon. Member a full reply to his letter of 8 October shortly.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Departmental Offices (Camden) – 21 November 1985

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Departmental Offices (Camden) on 21st November 1985.

    Sir Geoffrey Finsberg Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he is satisfied with the staffing levels of his Department’s offices in Camden, particularly at Melton Street.

    Mr. Major The staffing of the Department’s local offices which deal with claimants in Camden is as follows and has been determined in accordance with the Department’s complementing system, which aims to match the numbers of staff to the work load. A full complement review was begun on 14 October 1985 to reappraise the base complement for the Department and its results will be available in mid-1986 ‘A Guide to the DHSS Complementing System’ giving details of complementing arrangements is in the Library.

    Office | Complement 1985-86 | Staff in post 1 November 1985

    Euston (Melton St) | 160 | 172.5

    Cricklewood | 87 | 99

    Finsbury Park | 183 | 198

    Highgate | 190 | 210

    Neasden | 147 | 148.5

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Child Benefit – 21 November 1985

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Child Benefit on 21st November 1985.

    Mrs. Renée Short Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list the number of single mothers who have withdrawn claims for child benefit in each single year since 1979, the number of case papers which have been requested from benefit officers’ staff by social security fraud squad officers in each single year since 1979; and if he will list the total number of officers who have been employed by his Department as fraud squad investigators during the same period giving a breakdown of the regions of the country to which they have been assigned.

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