The Rt. Hon. Sir John Major KG CH

Category: 1983-1987 Parliament

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on the Attendance Allowance – 27 April 1987

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

    Mr. Nellist Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Derby, South (Mrs. Beckett) on 23 March, Official Report, column 78, when he expects to complete his consideration of matters raised by the judgment of the Court of Appeal in the Moran case; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr. Major I refer the hon. Member to my replies to the hon. Member for Birkenhead (Mr. Field) on 7 April at column 149.

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

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

    Mr. Clay Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services, pursuant to his reply of 6 April to the hon. Member for Sunderland North, Official Report, column 107, how much of the increase in social security expenditure reflecting a real increase in the average amount of benefit paid is attributable to actual real increases in benefit rates.

    Mr. Major Because of the number of structural changes to the benefit system over this period, and the complicated relationship between the rates of income-related benefits and the actual amounts paid, it would require substantial work to isolate the effect of real increases in benefit rates. I regret therefore that it would be disproportionately costly to provide this information.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Disabled People – 24 April 1987

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Disabled People on 24th April 1987.

    Mr. Ashley Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he has any plans to apply the Disabled Persons (Services, Consultation and Representation) Act 1986 to Northern Ireland.

    Mr. Major I understand that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has similar legislation under consideration and the consultative procedures have begun.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Hearing Aids (Batteries) – 23 April 1987

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Hearing Aids (Batteries) on 23rd April 1987.

    Mr. Terry Davis Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services why the hearing centre at Dudley road hospital in Birmingham is supplying batteries imported from Switzerland for use in hearing aids.

    Mr. Major Contracts for the supply of hearing aid batteries are held by a number of manufacturers. An international company based in Switzerland was awarded one of the contracts, to supply a quantity of mercury “button cell” batteries, as a result of competitive tendering carried out according to the General Agreements on Tariffs and Trade code on Government procurement. The majority of mercury “button cell” batteries are supplied to the National Health Service by manufacturers in the United Kingdom and the National Health Service will continue to encourage competitive United Kingdom sources of supply.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Pensioners – 22 April 1987

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Pensioners on 22nd April 1987.

    Mr. Meacher Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what has been for a worker on average earnings retiring in (a) 1974, (b) 1979, (c) 1984 and (d) 1987 (i) the level of the retirement pension, (ii) average occupational pension, (iii) the state earnings-related pension scheme pension, where applicable, (iv) average investment income for a worker on average earnings.

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

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Disabled Young People – 22 April 1987

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Disabled Young People on 22nd April 1987.

    Mr. Wigley Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is his policy on 16-year-old disabled young people who are still at school obtaining an assessment under section 4 of the Disabled Persons (Representation, Consultation and Services) Act 1986; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr. Major Section 4 of the Disabled Person (Services, Consultation and Representation) Act 1986 came into force on 1 April 1987. It makes it clear that a local authority has a duty to decide whether a disabled person’s needs call for the provision of any services in accordance with section 2(1) of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970, if requested to do so by the disabled person or by any person, for example a parent, who provides care for him or her in the circumstances mentioned in section 8 of the Act. This provision would apply to requests made by 16-year-old disabled young people who are still at school or by their carers.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Severe Weather Payments – 22 April 1987

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Severe Weather Payments on 22nd April 1987.

    Mr. Wigley Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many individual persons in Wales received payments of severe weather allowance this winter; and if all these persons received this payment for two weeks.

    Mr. Major The latest available figures show that approximately 127,000 £5 payments had been made in Wales by 17 March. Separate figures on the number of individuals receiving payments are not available, but the great majority of successful claimants in Wales will have received a total of £10 in respect of the two weeks for which this help was made available.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Maternity Payments – 22 April 1987

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Maternity Payments on 22nd April 1987.

    Mr. Meacher Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many women in the Oldham West constituency claimed maternity grant in the latest year for which figures are available.

    Mr. Major Information is not available in the form requested.

    The Oldham West constituency is covered by the Departments local offices at Oldham and Failsworth, although their boundaries are not conterminous with the constituency. The numbers of maternity grant claims received at these two offices during the 1986 calendar year were as follows:

    Area | Number
    Oldham | 1,021
    Failsworth | 1,349

    Mrs. Beckett Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what representations he has received regarding the sending of incorrect instructions about the last date to qualify for a single payment for maternity needs to local offices; whether correcting instructions had been received in all offices by the week before the deadline for claims of 6 April; if he will make transitional arrangements so that those eligible for payment for a baby born on or before 17 May can claim up to 17 May; and if he will mount an immediate national advertising campaign to publicise these arrangements.

    Mr. Major We have received one letter concerning the instructions relating to the transitional arrangements for the payment of supplementary benefit single payments for maternity needs which were issued to local offices in late January this year. Prior to receipt of this letter, as a result of a telephone enquiry received by the Department, it had already been decided to issue clarifying guidance to all local offices about applications for payments for maternity needs received before 6 April where the week of expected confinement was after that date. This was done on 5 March 1987 and we do not propose to take any further action.

    Mrs. Beckett Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether women on supplementary benefit and without savings of over £500 can claim a single payment for maternity needs for a baby due on or before 17 May, provided their claim was made before 6 April.

    Mr. Major A supplementary benefit single payment for maternity needs can be made, subject to the normal eligibility conditions, for a claim made before 6 April 1987 provided that, at the time of the claim, the expected week of confinement was not more than six weeks ahead.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Supplementary Benefit – 22 April 1987

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Supplementary Benefit on 22nd April 1987.

    Mr. Alfred Morris Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if the supplementary benefit payable on account of someone in residential care is intended to cover the cost of day-care facilities; who is liable to meet the charge for such a person residing in a private home but receiving day-care provided by a voluntary organisation; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr. Major The supplementary benefit board and lodging allowance for people in residential care homes contains no specific allocations for particular items of expenditure. Under the Residential Care Homes Regulations 1984 the proprietor of a private home is required, having regard to the size of the home and the number, age, sex and condition of residents, to make suitable arrangements for the training, occupation and recreation of residents. If the proprietor makes arrangements with a voluntary organisation to provide such facilities in the home or elsewhere he would then be liable for any charge levied by the voluntary organisation and may take this into account in fixing the charges payable by residents. Residents who are entitled to supplementary benefit receive help with their charges up to the national limits.

    Mrs. Beckett Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what effect British Gas vouchers will have on entitlement to supplementary benefit, including single payments for fuel costs.

    Mr. Major The vouchers that I understand will start to become payable to British Gas Shareholders from 30 June 1987 will be treated for supplementary benefit purposes as income from capital and will be disregarded. The normal capital rules for weekly and single payments of supplementary benefit will continue to apply to the value of the shares themselves.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Housing Benefit – 22 April 1987

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Housing Benefit on 22nd April 1987.

    Mr. Raynsford Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services why, in the light of his undertaking to local authorities they would have 12 months to prepare for the introduction of the new housing benefit arrangements effective from April 1988, he has not yet tabled regulations and issued guidance on this subject.

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

    Mr. Major [pursuant to his reply, 10 April 1987, c. 503]: 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. The draft currently contains purely illustrative rates and it is not possible to legislate on the basis of figures which will not be implemented.

    We are, however, committed to publishing our firm proposals on the detailed structure of the new scheme as soon as possible, so that local authorities have adequate time to prepare. The local authority associations made a very large number of helpful comments during consultation on the regulations and these are now being considered urgently.

    I have informed the associations that the revised regulations will be made available to local authorities in draft around the end of this month. Guidance on the key areas of change will follow shortly after. Copies of the regulations and the guidance will be placed in the Library.