Category: 1983-1987 Parliament

Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Economic Growth on 9th July 1987.

Mr. Wilkinson Asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how the growth of economic output in the United Kingdom since 1983 compares with that of other major industrialised countries.

Mr. Major Since 1983 output in the United Kingdom has grown faster than in any other major European economy.

Mr. John Hunt Asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his latest estimate of the growth of the output in the economy.

Mr. Gwilym Jones Asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his latest estimate of the growth of output in the economy.

Mr. Major Measured at 1980 prices, the average estimate of gross domestic product at factor cost is provisionally estimated to have risen by 3.5 per cent. in the year to the first quarter of 1987.

Below is the text of Mr Major’s statement on The Growing Divide Book. The text was issued by Conservative Central Office, news release 543/87 on Tuesday 9 June 1987.

JOHN MAJOR:

The authors [of The Growing Divide] have not compared like with like. Their figures for real disposable income in 1979 include housing benefit, but their figures for 1985 do not include it. This is either incompetence or a shameless distortion. But in either event it totally destroys their conclusion. It reduces their tract to a political essay which manipulates the statistical evidence to reach a false conclusion.
Moreover, the authors’ conclusions do not square with those of the Central Statistical Office’s published income distribution figures. The fact is that the average income of the poorest fifth of the population has risen since 1979 – in sharp contrast to what could be expected under a Labour government which was already pledged to raise taxes and cut allowances even for the poorest.

Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Pensioners on 15th May 1987.

Mr. Deakins Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will estimate the cost of giving single pensioners with no other sources of income an extra £5 per week and pensioner couples £8 per week assuming no change in social security benefits.

Mr. Major [pursuant to his reply, 28 April 1987, c. 113]: Information is not available on the net cost of such a change. The basic retirement pension is not paid on an income-related basis, and no firm estimate is available of the numbers of pensioners for whom it is the sole source of income. Most pensioners who have little more than the basic pension would be entitled to supplementary pension and housing benefit. About 375,000 single pensioners and 25,000 pensioner couples who receive supplementary pension have no significant source of income other than their basic retirement pension and supplementary pension/housing benefit. It would cost about £110 million gross to increase retirement pension by £5 or £8 to this group. Assuming supplementary pension and housing benefit levels remained unchanged, the net cost of such an increase in retirement pension would be substantially less. An accurate estimate could be made only at disproportionate cost.

Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Housing Benefit on 15th May 1987.

Mr. Raynsford Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) why, in the light of the answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr. McCrindle) on 22 April, Official Report, column 596, the revised draft housing benefit regulations have not yet been made available to local authorities; and if he will make a statement;
(2) if he is considering deferring the implementation date for the new housing benefit scheme for April 1988 until a later date; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Major I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend to my hon. Friend the Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr. McCrindle) today.

Mr. McCrindle Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when he proposes to lay regulations for the 1988 housing benefit reforms.

Mr. Fowler [pursuant to the reply, 22 April 1987, c. 596]: As explained in the earlier reply, the regulations for the 1988 housing benefit reforms will be laid before Parliament when the Government’s proposals on benefit rates are finalised in the autumn.
Revised draft regulations on the detailed structure of the new scheme will be issued to all local authorities on Monday 18 May following consultation on the earlier drafts. These regulations set out firm proposals on the detailed structure required for local authorities to prepare for implementation of the scheme in April 1988. Copies of the draft regulations will be placed in the Library.

The draft regulations confirm that from April 1988 the Government expect everyone who is liable to pay domestic rates to make a minimum contribution of 20 per cent. of their rates bill. However, when the rates for income support are set in the autumn, they will include the average amount that we expect householders who are income support claimants to have to meet as their minimum contribution. The details will be determined at the time the benefit rates are decided. This will mean that income support claimants will receive compensation in April 1988 in their benefit entitlement, whilst at the same time preserving the vital principle of local accountability. This compensation will also be reflected in the rates that will determine help for others on low incomes receiving housing benefit and family credit.

Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Disabled People on 15th May 1987.

Mr. Hind Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what information he has as to how many people in the West Lancashire district council area are registered under the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970 as in need of assistance.

Mr. Major I regret that the information requested is not available centrally. Information about the number of persons registered as disabled under section 29 (1) of the National Assistance Act 1948 is collected only for social services authority areas.

Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on National Insurance Credits on 14th May 1987.

Mr. Gordon Brown Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is his estimate of how many men aged 60 to 64 years are receiving National Insurance credits without being required to register as unemployed.

Mr. Major [pursuant to his reply, 5 May 1987, c. 376]: Men aged 60-64 years may be awarded credits without being required to register as unemployed for periods when they receive incapacity benefit, invalid care allowance or supplementary benefit. In addition credits are awarded automatically each year to any other men in this age group who have less than a full record of contributions or credits. In 1984-85, the latest year available, the number of men receiving credits in these circumstances was 1.4 million.

Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Government Achievements (Pensioners) on 14th May 1987.

Mr. Peter Bruinvels Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list the Government’s achievements in respect of pensioners.
Mr. Major The Government’s main achievement for pensioners has been the creation of a stable and improving economy, with low inflation. This has enabled pensioners at all income levels to improve their living standards, both absolutely and in relation to the population as a whole. Building on a secure foundation of a retirement pension fully protected against price increases, pensioners have, on average, increased their total net incomes in real terms by 18 per cent. over the period 1979-1985 (the latest for which figures are available). This increase is more than twice the increase achieved by the population as a whole. Over 50 per cent. of pensioners now have occupational pensions, compared with 41 per cent. in 1979 and the average value of such pensions has risen by over 50 per cent. Over 70 per cent. have income from savings, compared with 62 per cent. in 1979, and the average value of such income has also risen by over 50 per cent. These improvements have taken place despite an increase of almost a million in the number of pensioners.
In respect of social security benefits, the basic pension has more than kept pace with prices, and now stands at £63.25 for a married couple and £39.50 for a single person. The development of the earnings-related pension scheme means that a man on average earnings retiring after April 1987 may receive additional pension of about £20 week, compared with 95p (in 1979 prices) for a similar man retiring in April 1979. At September 1986 some 1.8 million pensioners (18.5 per cent. of the total) received extra pension under the earnings-related arrangements, either as additional pension from the state or guaranteed minimum pension paid by their employers. The residual effects of the married women’s half test have been finally abolished, enabling some 30,000 women to receive a pension for the first time or to increase their existing pension; many more benefited from tax advantages. Entitlement to a noncontributory pension for those over 80 was extended, and made payable at higher rate to some recipients. The number of pensioners receiving supplementary pension has fallen from 1.73 million in February 1979 to 1.68 million in February 1986, despite the increase in the total number of pensioners; only 25 per cent. of pensioners are now in the lowest income quintile of the population, compared with 38 per cent. in 1979. Higher take-up of benefits such as mobility allowance and attendance allowance has extended them to greater numbers of pensioners than in 1979, and total spending on social security benefits for the elderly has increased by some 29 per cent. between 1978-79 and 1986-87.
In respect of health and social services, provision for the increasing number of elderly people has been maintained and improved. The development of health services for elderly people has been one of the Government’s highest priorities for the National Health Service. Our main objective has been to provide services which enable elderly people to live at home for as long as possible. To this end, the community health services have been expanded considerably. For example, between 1978 and 1985 the number of elderly people treated by district nurses rose by 28 per cent. and the number of elderly people treated by chiropodists rose by 25 per cent.
The specialty of geriatrician medicine has continued to expand. Between 1978 and 1985, the number of consultant geriatricians increased by 45 per cent. Between 1978 and 1985, the numbers of elderly in-patients treated rose by 60 per cent. and out-patients by 40 per cent. and day hospital attendances by 20 per cent. Elderly people have also benefited from the development of acute hospital services. Between 1978 and 1984 the numbers of cases of elderly people treated for acute conditions increased by 24 per cent., hip replacements increased from 28,000 to 38,000 and cataract operations from 38,000 to 55,000. There have also been significant increases in personal social services. Between 1978 and 1985, the number of day centre places for elderly people rose by 15.5 per cent. and the number of home helps grew by 14 per cent.
Since 1979 age allowances in the tax system have been increased significantly in real terms and this year a new higher age allowance was introduced for people aged 80 and over. About 400,000 elderly single people and married couples will benefit; up to 25,000 will be taken out of tax completely by the new allowance.

Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Dr. Kevin Browne on 14th May 1987.

Mr. Dobson Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what steps he has taken to satisfy himself that no potential for conflicts of interest arises from Dr. Kevin Browne’s relationship to both Cape Industries plc and the London Medical Boarding Centre (Respiratory Diseases);
(2) what information was available to him on Dr. Kevin Browne’s relationship to Cape Industries plc at the time of his appointment to the London Medical Boarding Centre (Respiratory Diseases).

Mr. Major Before his appointment as a part-time medical officer to the London Medical Boarding Centre (Respiratory Diseases), Dr. Browne was employed as medical adviser to Cape Industries plc. The Department takes steps to ensure that Dr. Browne does not board claimants who have been employed at Cape Industries.

Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Severe Weather Payments on 14th May 1987.

Dame Judith Hart Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services in which weeks of the current year the trigger temperature for cold weather payments was reached in the constituency of Clydesdale.
Mr. Major From 11 December 1986 to 25 January 1987, the trigger temperature for cold weather payments was minus 1.5 deg C. From 26 January, it was amended to 0 deg C. The constituency of Clydesdale has three weather stations at Dumfries, Glasgow airport and Prestwick. In the week commencing 12 January, Dumfries and Prestwick reached the minus 1.5 deg C. trigger temperature. In the week commencing 26 January Glasgow airport triggered at 0 deg C. Payments were, however, available to people in the qualifying groups throughout the country for the weeks commencing 12 and 19 January.
Mr. Bruce Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list by his Department’s offices how many people applied for the extra £5 payment for exceptionally cold weather allowance made available for the weeks beginning 12 and 19 January; how many applications have been processed; and how many payments have been made.
Mr. Major [pursuant to his reply, 11 May 1987, c. 130]: The information is not available in the precise form requested. Local offices have been asked to make a return so that the number of payments made and claims refused over the entire winter period can be calculated. Not all of these returns have yet been received. A copy of the returns will be placed in the Library as soon as possible.
Up to 10 March, the latest date for which information is available, approximately two million exceptionally cold weather payments of £5 have been made and 377,500 claims refused.

Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Income Support and Family Credit on 14th May 1987.

Mr. Clay Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when he plans to lay before Parliament the draft regulations for the income support and family credit schemes; and whether before this he plans to make draft regulations available.

Mr. Major Work on the detailed provisions for the income support and family credit schemes is not yet complete. The formal regulations cannot be laid before Parliament until decisions have been taken on the benefit rates in the autumn since it is only possible to legislate on the basis of figures which will be implemented. Before this, we do however intend to place copies of the regulations in draft in the Library when they are finalised apart from the benefit rates.