The Rt. Hon. Sir John Major KG CH

Category: 1983-1987 Parliament

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Disabled People – 1 May 1987

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Disabled People on 1st May 1987.

    Mr. Alfred Morris Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services, pursuant to the reply to the right hon. Member for Manchester, Wythenshawe on 10 April, Official Report, column 503, if he has yet written to the voluntary organisations’ steering group on the Disabled Persons (Services, Consultation and Representation) Act 1986 with proposals for their involvement in planning the implementation of the Act; and if he will make a further statement.

    Mr. Major I am still considering the points made by the members of the steering committee at the meeting on 1 April. As indicated in my earlier reply, I shall write to them as soon as possible suggesting a framework for involving voluntary organisations, where appropriate, in future work on the implementation of the Act.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Pensions – 1 May 1987

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Pensions on 1st May 1987.

    Mr. Woodcock Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what percentage of men have a sufficient national insurance contribution record by the age of 60 years to entitle them to a 100 per cent. basic pension.

    Mr. Major I regret that the information requested is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on the Disabled Persons Act 1986 – 30 April 1987

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on the Disabled Persons Act 1986 on 30th April 1987.

    Mr. Wigley Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many representations he has received in 1987 from (a) hon. Members and (b) other people, concerning the timetable for implementing the full provisions of the Disabled Persons (Services, Consultation and Representation) Act 1986; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr. Major 216 representations have been received from hon. Members and 15 from other people or organisations since the beginning of 1987 about the Disabled Persons (Services, Consultation and Representation) Act 1986. The majority of these have been concerned with implementation.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Severe Weather Payments – 29 April 1987

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Severe Weather Payments on 29th April 1987.

    Mrs. Beckett Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will extend the deadline for claiming severe weather payments; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr. Major The Supplementary Benefit (Single Payments) (Amendment) Regulations 1986 provide for claims to be made within 13 weeks of the end of a period of exceptionally cold weather. The period was increased from 28 days in the original proposals following consultation with the Social Security Advisory Committee. We have no plans to amend the regulations.

    Mrs. Beckett Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many cold weather payments have been made in 1987 at the latest date for which figures are available.

    Mr. Major Up to 10 March, the latest date for which information is available, approximately 2 million exceptionally cold weather payments of £5 had been made.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Overseas Pensions – 29 April 1987

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Overseas Pensions on 29th April 1987.

    Mrs. Beckett Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will give the most recent available estimate of (a) the number of retired people, by country of residence, living abroad in a country with which Britain has no reciprocal social security agreement, and who would otherwise be receiving a state retirement pension and (b) the cost of paying a state retirement pension to these people.

    Mr. Major British retirement pensions are payable anywhere in the world. Cost-of-living increases are paid, however, only where there is a reciprocal agreement with the country concerned to provide for this.

    The number of retirement pensioners who are living in a country with which the United Kingdom has no reciprocal social security agreement to provide for payment of the increase is as follows:

    Number of Retirement Pensioners, in overseas Countries at 31 December 1985 (Latest Figures Available)

    Country | Number

    Albania | 5
    Algeria | 1
    Andorra | 88
    Angola | 1
    Anguilla | 49
    Antigua | 119
    Argentina | 133
    Australia | 96,126
    Bahamas | 106
    Bahrain | 15
    Bangladesh | 1,253
    Barbados | 729
    Belize | 10
    Bolivia | 4
    Botswana | 38
    Brazil | 133
    Brunei | 9
    Bulgaria | 9
    Burma | 7
    Cameroon | 4
    Canada | 54,388
    Cayman Islands | 22
    Chile | 38
    China | 7
    Colombia | 23
    Cook Islands | 5
    Costa Rica | 5
    Czechoslovakia | 25
    Djibouti | 3
    Dominica, Commonwealth of | 233
    Dominican Republic | 132
    East Germany | 13
    Ecuador | 9
    Egypt | 34
    El Salvador | 1
    Ethiopia | 4
    Falkland Islands and Dependencies | 6
    Faroe Islands | 1
    Fiji | 27
    Gabon | 1
    Gambia | 5
    Ghana | 44
    Grenada | 298
    Guatemala | 3
    Guyana | 124
    Haiti | 1
    Honduras | 2
    Hong Kong | 331
    Hungary | 138
    India | 2,580
    Indonesia | 13
    Iraq | 3
    Japan | 42
    Jordan | 7
    Kenya | 345
    Kiribati (Gilbert Islands) | 2
    Kuwait | 6
    Lebanon | 26
    Lesotho | 6
    Liberia | 4
    Libyan Arab Republic | 2
    Madagascar | 2
    Malawi | 38
    Malaya | 45
    Mexico | 56
    Monaco | 160
    Monserrat | 180
    Morocco | 28
    Mozambique | 1
    Naura, Republic of | 2
    Nepal | 14
    Netherlands Antilles | 6
    New Zealand | 23,167
    Nigeria | 69
    Norfolk Island | 11
    Norway | 119
    Oman | 8
    Pakistan | 3,369
    Panama | 7
    Papua New Guinea | 17
    Peru | 34
    Philippines | 34
    Poland | 2,459
    Puerto Rico | 3
    Qatar | 6
    Romania | 19
    Rwanda | 2
    St Helena and Dependencies | 30
    St Kitts-Nevis | 277
    St Lucia | 350
    St Vincent | 237
    Sarawak | 2
    Saudi Arabia | 23
    Senegal | 8
    Seychelles | 24
    Sierra Leone | 33
    Singapore | 60
    Solomon Islands | 4
    Somalia | 134
    South Africa | 18,879
    South Korea | 2
    South West Africa or Namibia | 13
    Sri Lanka | 94
    Sudan | 9
    Swaziland | 42
    Sweden | 64
    Syria | 1
    Taiwan | 2
    Tanzania | 39
    Thailand | 31
    Togo | 1
    Tonga | 3
    Trinidad and Tobago | 251
    Tunisia | 8
    Turks & Caicos Islands | 2
    Uganda | 12
    United Arab Emirates | 22
    USSR | 741
    Uruguay | 16
    Vanuatu (New Hebrides) | 1
    Venezuela | 26
    Virgin Islands | 29
    Western Samoa | 7
    Yemen Arab Republic (North) | 719
    Yemen, People’s Democratic Republic of (South) | 87
    Zaire | 5
    Zambia | 86
    Zimbabwe | 3,498
    The annual cost of paying these retirement pensions was £168 million in November 1985. Payment at the full November 1985 rates would have cost an additional £166 million.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Pensioners – 28 April 1987

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Pensioners on 28th April 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 I shall let the hon. Member have a reply as soon as possible.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Bronchitis and Emphysema – 27 April 1987

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Bronchitis and Emphysema on 27th April 1987.

    Mr. Pike Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he now proposes to classify bronchitis and emphysema as industrial diseases.

    Mr. Major The Industrial Injuries Advisory Council has conducted an investigation into this subject and I understand that its report will be submitted to my right hon. Friend later this year. Its recommendations will be considered then.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Severe Weather Payments – 27 April 1987

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Severe Weather Payments on 27th April 1987.

    Mr. Pike Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many claims for single payments in respect of the exceptionally severe weather were received at Brown house, Burnley benefit office this winter; and how many were approved.

    Mr. Major Information on the number of claims is not available in precisely the form requested, but by 21 April 6,702 £5 payments had been made, and 1,093 claims refused, by the Burnley local office.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on the Disabled Persons Act 1986 – 27th April 1987

    Below is the text of the Written Parliamentary Answer on the Disabled Persons Act 1986 from 27 April 1987.

    Mr. Wigley asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether the Government have now established a target date for the full implementation, with commencement orders, of every section of the Disabled Persons (Services, Consultation and Representation) Act 1986; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr. Major Sections 4, 8(1), and 9 and 10 were implemented on 1 April 1987. With regard to the implementation of the remaining sections, I cannot add to my reply to the hon. Member on 10 March at column 157.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Benefits – 27 April 1987

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Benefits on 27th April 1987.

    Mr. Frank Cook Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many claimants in Cleveland receive invalidity benefit without also receiving supplementary benefit, or housing benefit supplement broken down by the following offices (i) Hadrian House, Eston, (ii) Crown house, Hartlepool, (iii) Royal House, Middlesbrough, (iv) Dawson House, Redcar and (v) Bridge Street, Stockton.

    Mr. Major I regret that the information requested is not held.