The Rt. Hon. Sir John Major KG CH

Category: 1983-1987 Parliament

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on War Pensions – 14 July 1986

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on War Pensions on 14th July 1986.

    Mr. Kirkwood Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) whether he is satisfied with the present clearance rate of cases at the war pensions office at Norcross;
    (2) what is the average time of clearance of individual cases dealt with by the war pensions office at Norcross for the past five years for which figures are available.

    Mr. Major Claims for war pensions are complex and can involve looking back over a period of 40 years or more. Service and medical records have to be obtained and medical examinations may have to be arranged. Even straightforward claims can thus take several weeks. During 1984, retirements, ill-health and promotions among the medical staff at Norcross caused delays. Although still not entirely satisfactory, the position has gradually improved since then and the average clearance time during the quarter ended 31 March 1986 was 22.6 weeks.

    The following table shows the average time for clearance of war pensions claims at Norcross in the last quarter of the past five years.

    Quarter ended | Time in weeks

    31 December 1981 | 17.0
    31 December 1982 | 16.5
    31 December 1983 | 16.7
    31 December 1984 | 34.3
    31 December 1985 | 24.7

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on War Pensioners and Widows – 14th July 1986

    Below is the text of the Written Parliamentary Answer on War Pensioners and Widows from 14 July 1986.

    Mr. Kirkwood asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he has any plans to relax conditions to enable regular visitations of severely disabled war pensioners and elderly widows to increase.

    Mr. Major Arrangements for regular visiting by the war pensioners’ welfare service are at present being reviewed, in consultation with representatives of war pensioners and war widows. The central advisory committee on war pensions will be consulted before any changes are made. Any war pensioner or war widow who needs help may contact the war pensioners’ welfare service at any time.

    Mr. Kirkwood asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what would be the cost of increasing the £4 disregard applied to war pensioners who claim supplementary pension to the level of £15.

    Mr. Major The available data are not sufficiently accurate to enable a precise figure to be quoted, but the best estimte that can be made is that the cost of increasing the £4 war pensions disregard to £15 would be of the order of £4 million a year. This figure takes acount of the additional claims to supplementary benefit that would result from such a change, but does not allow for the cost of making an equivalent change to the housing benefit scheme.

    Mr. Kirkwood asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he has any plans to increase the rate of pension to war widows and women aged 60 years and under in receipt of unemployability supplement or invalidity benefit; if he will estimate the cost of such a change; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr. Major The rates will be increased on 28 July in line with price increases. The cost of the increase in war widows pensions is £2 million in a full year. The cost of the increase in invalidity benefit and unemployability supplement for women aged 60 and under is £3.5 million in a full year.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Unemployment Benefit – 14 July 1986

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Unemployment Benefit on 14th July 1986.

    Mr. Clay Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what would be the cost of extending the payment of unemployment benefit for a further (i) one year, (ii) two years, (iii) three years and (iv) as long as unemployment lasted; and what would be the cost if the single person’s rate of unemployment benefit were increased by £7.35.

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

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Labour Statistics (Liverpool) – 14 July 1986

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Labour Statistics (Liverpool) on 14th July 1986.

    Mr. Field Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services why, in answer to the hon. Member for Birkenhead on 15 May, Official Report, column 527, the total number of unemployed claimants in the city of Liverpool in November 1985 was given as 32,100 when figures published by the Department of Employment for the same date gave a total of 56,421.

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

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Basildon Local Office – 14 July 1986

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Basildon Local Office on 14th July 1986.

    Mr. Proctor Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when the windows in his Department’s office in Basildon were last cleaned; why they are not cleaned more regularly; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr. Major The windows of Basildon integrated local office are cleaned internally monthly. A solution to the long-standing problem of external cleaning is under consideration by the Department.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Low Income Families – 14 July 1986

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Low Income Families on 14th July 1986.

    Mr. Gordon Brown Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will now publish the 1983 low income families table.

    Mr. Major I refer the hon. Member to my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Kensington on 8 July at column 157.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Single Payments – 14 July 1986

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Single Payments on 14th July 1986.

    Mr. Gordon Brown Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list by area offices the numbers claiming single payments on 2 July in Scotland.

    Mr. Major On 2 July a special count was made of the number of people whose single payment claims were being processed in local offices in Scotland. The information then obtained is set out in the following table:
    Number of people whose single payment claims were being processed

    Office | Number

    Aberdeen North | 377
    Aberdeen South | 261
    Airdrie | 2,749
    Arbroath | 128
    Ayr | 3,962
    Bellshill | 2,468
    Bathgate | 2,642
    Campbeltown | 26
    Clydebank | 1,594
    Coatbridge | 2,650
    Cowdenbeath | 288
    Cumbernauld | 2,375
    Dumbarton | 547
    Dumfries | 254
    Dundee East | 568
    Dundee West | 850
    Dunfermline | 609
    East Kilbride | 1,885
    Edinburgh (City) | 1,807
    Edinburgh (East) | 3,089
    Edinburgh (North) | 2,395
    Edinburgh (South) | 2,376
    Edinburgh (West) | 2,536
    Elgin | 145
    Falkirk | 552
    Fort William | 82
    Galashiels | 185
    Glasgow (Anniesland) | 1,302
    Glasgow (Bridgeton) | 435
    Glasgow (City) | 931
    Glasgow (Craigton) | 1,018
    Glasgow (Cranstonhill) | 101
    Glasgow (Dalmarnock) | 549
    Glasgow (Laurieston) | 2,951
    Glasgow (Maryhill) | 427
    Glasgow (Parkhead) | 922
    Glasgow (Partick) | 1,563
    Glasgow (Provan) | 5,822
    Glasgow (Rutherglen) | 5,477
    Glasgow (South Side) | 3,733
    Glasgow (Springburn) | 931
    Greenock | 850
    Hamilton | 1,133
    Inverness | 499
    Irvine | 4,068
    Johnstone | 776
    Kilmarnock | 2,161
    Kirkcaldy | 1,091
    Lerwick | 9
    Leven | 311
    Motherwell | 4,009
    Oban | 73
    Paisley | 4,196
    Perth | 265
    Peterhead | 258
    Port Glasgow | 1,590
    Stirling | 810
    Stornoway | 73
    Stranraer | 48
    Wick | 66

    Total | 85,848

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Far East Prisoners of War – 14 July 1986

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Far East Prisoners of War on 14th July 1986.

    Mr. Woodall Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what steps are taken to publicise the facilities available to surviving prisoners of war of the Japanese regarding degenerative and psychological illnesses and parasite infestation arising from the circumstances of their captivity; what investigations have been commissioned by his Department into the incidence of such conditions amongst these people; and if he will make a statement on the levels revealed.

    Mr. Major The Department provides facilities for former far east prisoners of war to be medically investigated so that any residual illness resulting from their imprisonment can be identified and treated. These arrangements have been brought to the attention of hospital medical and administrative staff and general practitioners. Information will also be included in a new leaflet on war pensions to be published shortly. Any individual former FEPOW who is known to the Department through the war pensions scheme is encouraged to undergo an investigation. The National Federation of Far East Prisoners of War Clubs and Associations also publicises the facilities to its members and on occasions through the media. We are considering other means of making the arrangements more widely known.

    The Department has commissioned one study of the health of former FEPOWs. The report, entitled “A study of the Post-Captivity Health of Ex-Prisoners of War of the Japanese”, was produced in February 1985 and a copy is being placed in the Library. In the absence of a similar study of morbidity in the British male population valid comparisons are not possible. With that proviso, the report concludes that the level of degenerative conditions among ex-FEPOWs did not appear to be significantly different from that in the general population. There appeared to be a higher incidence of psychiatric manifestations. Only one type of parasitic infestation, strongyloidiasis, was identified. This is a worm infestation which can be effectively treated.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Rate and Rent Rebates – 14 July 1986

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Rate and Rent Rebates on 14th July 1986.

    Mr. John Fraser Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what payments were made by his Department to Lambeth council for rate rebates, rent allowances and rent rebates in 1985-86; and what are his latest estimates of the amounts to be paid in the year 1986-87.

    Mr. Major Payments on account made by the Department to Lambeth borough council for benefits granted under the housing benefit scheme in 1985-86 and estimated payments to be made in the year 1986-87 are:

    Type : 1985-86 (in £ million) | 1986-87 (in £ million)
    Rent rebates | 17.5 | 18
    Rent allowances | 12 | 12.5
    Rate rebates | 18 | 18

    These figures are based on the council’s estimated expenditure and are subject to revision following submission of a final claim by the authority.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Visiting Officers (Waiting Time) – 10 July 1986

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Visiting Officers (Waiting Time) on 10th July 1986.

    Mr. Craigen Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the normal waiting time for claimants awaiting his Department’s visiting officers; and what was the comparable figure in 1983-84.

    Mr. Major On average it takes 10 days from the time when a case has been referred to a visiting officer of LO I grade until action following the visit has been completed. This is the same as in 1983-84. LO II grade officers, who handle a larger proportion of routine visits, take an average of 23 days to complete action on a visit, compared with 17 days in 1983-84.