Category: 1983-1987 Parliament

Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on the Chief Adjudication Officer on 12th May 1987.

Mr. Allan Stewart Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when he will make available the second annual report of the chief adjudication officer; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Major The report is being published today. The publication of the report follows from the provisions of the Health and Social Services and Social Security Adjudications Act 1983, which sought to improve the quality of social security adjudication by a number of measures, including the requirement for the chief adjudication officer to report annually to the Secretary of State on the standards of social security adjudication. We are grateful to the chief adjudication officer for the efforts which he and his staff have put into the report. The report makes a number of constructive suggestions which we shall consider carefully.

Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Pensions on 12th May 1987.

Mrs. Sally Oppenheim Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the rate of decline in the real purchasing power of the pension for a married couple between the date of implementation of the increase in 1975 and the date when the 1976 increase took effect; and what was the rate of decline in the real purchasing power of the pension for a married couple between the date of the implementation of the increase in 1985 and the date when the 1986 increase took effect.

Mr. Major By the date of the November 1976 pension up-rating, the real value of the November 1975 pension rate for a married couple had fallen by 15 per cent. By the date of the July 1986 up-rating, the real value of the November 1985 pension up-rating had fallen by 1.7 per cent.

Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on the Disabled People on 12th May 1987.

Mr. O’Brien Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services, pursuant to his answer to the right hon. Member for Manchester, Wythenshawe (Mr. Morris) on 26 March, Official Report, column 260, whether he has now received the report from Wakefield district council relating to telephone attachments and rentals; and if he will publish the figures in the Official Report.

Mr. Major For the year ending 31 March 1986, Wakefield district council social services department provided no telephone attachments, but funded 924 rentals.

Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Disabled People (Library Facilities) on 12th May 1987.

Mr. Alfred Morris Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what representations he has received from the Cassette Library for the Blind and Handicapped concerning the provisions of library facilities for people unable to read; and if he will make a statement;
(2) what assistance is provided by his Department towards the Cassette Library for the Blind and Handicapped; and if he will make a statement;
(3) if he is satisfied that local authorities are fulfilling their duty under section 2(1)(b) of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970 to make arrangements for library services for people with disabilities, in particular for books on cassette for people unable to read; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Major It is for local authorities to satisfy themselves as to what is necessary to meet the needs of individual disabled people under section 2(1)(b) of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970.

The cassette library of recorded books (CALIBRE) received grants under section 64 of the Health Services and Public Health Act 1968 from 1976 to March 1987. Although further requests and representations have been made, when the last grant was awarded it was made clear then that no commitment could be given to further funding.

Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on the Christmas Bonus on 8th May 1987.

Mr. Allan Stewart Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what plans he has to pay the Christmas bonus in 1987.

Mr. Major A Christmas bonus of £10 will be paid to people who for the week beginning 7 December are entitled to payment of one of the qualifying benefits. The special stickers for the value of the bonus will be included in some benefit books to be issued from the week after next. These will cover a 26-week period including the week beginning 7 December.

Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Disability (Assessment) on 8th May 1987.

Mr. Alfred Morris Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what representations he has received from the Disability Alliance concerning the proposed scales for assessing the severity of disability devised by the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys; what reply he has sent; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Major I have received a copy of a recent letter sent by Professor Peter Townsend on behalf of the Disability Alliance to an official in the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys, who I understand will reply shortly.

Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Family Income Supplement on 5th May 1987.

Mr. Gordon Brown Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish information showing the proportion of claims for family income supplement in which it is necessary to contact employers to verify information on earnings; how many of these contacts can be attributable to inadequate wage slips; how many cases arise because the employee does not receive wage slips; what other reasons necessitate checks with employers; and to what extent the incidence of checks with employers has changed since the introduction of family income supplement.

Mr. Major It is estimated that inquiries to employers on earnings are made in around three quarters of claims for family income supplement. Inquiries are made either because the claimant has not provided the necessary pay-slips or because further information is needed to establish normal earnings; a breakdown of the overall estimate according to the precise reason for the inquiry is not available. Estimates of the level of inquiries to employers are not regularly made and recorded, but there is no evidence to suggest that there has been any significant change in recent years.

Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on National Insurance Credits on 5th 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 I shall let the hon. Member have a reply as soon as possible.

Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Disabled People on 5th May 1987.

Mr. Alfred Morris Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what representation there has been by his Department at the series of conferences on the Disabled Persons (Services, Consultation and Representation) Act 1986 organised by MIND and RADAR; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Major The Department was not invited to attend these conferences, which I understand were intended principally to brief representatives from the voluntary organisations and local authority social services departments about the provisions of the Act and give them the opportunity of discussing its implications.

Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Food (S Manual) on 5th May 1987.

Mr. Hume Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services why the guidelines on average expenditure on food in clause 4736 of the S manual were not based on data relating to the entire sample of the 1979 “Family Expenditure Survey”.

Mr. Major I understand from the chief adjudication officer that the figure of £9 was derived from data in respect of single pensioners, married couple pensioners and single adults under 65 in the lowest 20 per cent. household income bracket as it was considered that these data more accurately reflected expenditure by supplementary benefit claimants than would data from the entire sample. Data from the entire sample would have provided a higher figure of average expenditure on food, resulting in less help by way of dietary additions.

Mr. Hume Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the basis for determining the percentage or proportion of the relevant scale rate for adults used for calculating the dietary figures for children in clause 4736 of the S manual.

Mr. Major The figure of £9, derived from the 1979 family expenditure survey, was approximately 30 per cent. of the adult householder long-term scale rate at November 1981. I understand from the chief adjudication officer that the figures in respect of children were therefore based on 30 per cent. of the children’s scale rates. As data from the family expenditure surveys relate to households rather than to individuals, they do not provide information specifically in respect of children.