The Rt. Hon. Sir John Major KG CH

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  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Supplementary Benefit – 24 October 1985

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Supplementary Benefit on 24th October 1985.

    Mr. Chris Smith Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list, for each month since January 1985, the total value of supplementary benefit payments made to persons of no fixed abode in (a) each of the local Department of Health and Social Security offices located in the inner London area, covered by the Inner London Education Authority, (b) the London north region and (c) the London south region.

    Mr. Major The Department’s local offices do not keep separate statistics on payments made to persons of no fixed abode. The information is therefore not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Debt Collection Agencies – 24 October 1985

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Debt Collection Agencies on 24th October 1985.

    Mr. Gordon Brown Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services in what circumstances his Department makes arrangements with debt-collection agencies for direct debit of outstanding debts; how many claimants are now covered by this procedure; whether money-lending agencies can benefit from this procedure; what check is made of the debt-collection agencies who benefit; and whether any charge is made on the debt-collection agencies for the service provided.

    Mr. Major The Department does not under any circumstances make arrangements for money to be deducted from any claimant’s benefit for payment direct to a debt collection agency or a money lending agency.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Housing (Single Payments) – 24 October 1985

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Housing (Single Payments) on 24th October 1985.

    Mr. Gordon Brown Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services in what circumstances single payments are being refused to single persons or married couples who take on the lease of a council house.

    Mr. Major It is assumed that the question refers to claims for single payments of supplementary benefit for essential furniture and household equipment. Such claims may be refused for a number of reasons: for example, there is no entitlement to supplementary benefit; there is no need for the item(s) claimed; the claimant’s capital in excess of £500 is sufficient to meet the cost of the item(s); the claimant has not been in receipt of benefit for a continuous period of six months or, where he has, there is suitable, alternative furnished accommodation available in the area.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Pound Lodge Resettlement Unit – 24 October 1985

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Pound Lodge Resettlement Unit on 24th October 1985.

    Mr. Freeson Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make it his policy that the Pound Lodge resettlement unit in Willesden remains open and if he will make a statement.

    Mr. Major I refer the right hon. Member to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Minister for Social Security to my hon. Friend the Member for Elmet (Mr. Batiste) on 5 February at c.548-49. The future of Pound Lodge resettlement unit and the six other London resettlement units will be reviewed when the replacement scheme for the Camberwell unit is further advanced, and no action will be taken until then.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Single Pensioners – 22 October 1985

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Single Pensioners on 22nd October 1985.

    Mr. Barry Jones Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the percentage of single pensionable households in England.

    Mr. Major Of the total number of households in England there are some 14.15 per cent. with one person of pensionable age usually resident and living alone. (Source 1981 census.)

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Supplementary Benefit – 21 October 1985

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

    Mr. Gordon Brown Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list the costs of meeting mortgage interest payments for claimants of supplementary benefit, other than the unemployed, breaking these down into one-parent families, the sick and disabled and pensioners, and showing how many persons in each category benefit.

    Mr. Major [pursuant to the reply, 13 May 1985,c. 32]: The information is not available in the precise form requested. The best figures available, obtained from the Annual Statistical Enquiry 1983 (a copy of which is in the Library) are given in the table. These show the amounts of mortgage interest included in the assessment of supplementary benefit. No account has been taken of adjustments made in respect of non-dependants or other deductions.

    Mortgage Interest Considered in Assessment

    Claimant Type | Number | Annual Amount (£ million)

    One Parent Families | 35,000 | 21

    Sick and Disabled | 15,000 | 9

    Pensioners | 39,000 | 10

    Others (excluding unemployed) | 12,000 | 5

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Mr. Paul Escott – 21 October 1985

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Mr. Paul Escott on 21st October 1985.

    Mr. Ron Davies Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when he will be replying in full to the letter sent on 20 June from the hon. Member for Caerphilly concerning board and lodgings payments to one of his constituents, Mr. Paul Escott of Ystrad Mynach, Mid-Glamorgan.

    Mr. Major I will write to the hon. Member this week.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Departmental Expenditure – 21 October 1985

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Departmental Expenditure on 21st October 1985.

    Mr. Tony Banks Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how much his Department has spent on office furniture, curtains and carpets and office decorating in each of the last five years.

    Mr. Major Information in the form requested is not available. Under the property repayment services arrangements introduced in 1983-84, decorations remain the responsibility of the Property Services Agency, which includes a levy for minor works, including decorations, in the accommodation charge to departments. Before 1983-84, supplies, which include furniture, furnishings, cleaning materials, removal costs and similar expenditure were provided by the Property Services Agency as a common service. Expenditure on supplies by the Department for its HQ, central offices and local offices since then was:

    Year | £ million

    1983-84 | 7,349

    1984-85 | 8,448

    It is not possible to estimate separately the cost of office furniture, curtains and carpets and office decorating in these years.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on War Pensions (Staff) – 21 October 1985

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on War Pensions (Staff) on 21st October 1985.

    Mr. Wigley Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he is satisfied that the medical branch of the war pensions department of his Department has an adequate number of doctors on its staff to undertake its work effectively; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr. Major Recent delays in processing war pensions claims and appeals have been caused partly by difficulties in recruiting medical officers. In the last few months a number have been recruited and by mid November we expect that all of the 15 posts at the war pensions branch will be filled. The number of claimants to war pensions awaiting medical decisions has already been reduced to less than half the number six months ago. Provided that successful medical recruitment continues, we are satisfied that the number of doctors will be sufficient to eliminate the delays.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Rhodesian Service Pensions – 21 October 1985

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Rhodesian Service Pensions on 21st October 1985.

    Viscount Cranborne Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether, in the light of the decline in the value of the Zimbabwe dollar against the pound sterling, he will bring forward proposals for increasing the value of pensions awarded to war widows of Rhodesian service men who are British citizens having re-settled in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr. Major The United Kingdom Government may supplement a war widow’s pension payable to a British citizen resident in this country by the government of a former colony. The supplement is set at a level sufficient to raise the pension to the amount which would be payable under the United Kingdom war widows’ pension scheme and is usually recalculated annually. If my hon. Friend has a particular case in mind which he would like me to look into, I should be happy to do so.