The Rt. Hon. Sir John Major KG CH

Category: 1983-1987 Parliament

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Claimant Statistics – 10 June 1986

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Claimant Statistics on 10th June 1986.

    Mr. Barry Jones Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the number of claimants with children in Wales in receipt of (a) unemployment benefit only, (b) supplementary benefit only and (c) unemployment benefit and supplementary benefit for the latest available year in (i) Alyn and Deeside and (ii) Clwyd.

    Mr. Major I regret that this information is not available. Statistics are not kept routinely so that the information requested could he obtained only by a special exercise which would be disproportionately expensive.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Direct Fuel Deduction Arrangements – 10 June 1986

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Direct Fuel Deduction Arrangements on 10th June 1986.

    Mr. Irving Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is his latest estimate of the impact of his proposals to discontinue direct fuel deduction arrangements on the number of fuel supplies disconnected.

    Mr. Major There are no such proposals.

    Mr. Irving Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many people during 1985 made use of direct fuel deduction arrangements.

    Mr. Major The latest available, provisional, information from the December 1984 annual statistical inquiry is as follows:

    Fuel direct deductions in December 1984

    Fuel Type | Number of arrangements
    Electricity | 150,000
    Gas | 111,000
    Other | 4,000

    Note: Some claimants have direct payment arrangements in respect of more than one type of fuel so the number of households affected will he less than the total number of arrangements.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Re-establishment Centres – 9 June 1986

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Re-establishment Centres on 9th June 1986.

    Mr. Soley Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services

    (1) what alternate provision has been made for those people attending re-establishment centres which are being closed;

    (2) whether he will keep his Department’s re-establishment centres open until such time as alternate provision has been made for those attending such centres;

    (3) whether the recommendations of the second report of the Social Services Committee were taken into account when he decided to close the re-establishment centres; and whether the skilled staff will be transferred to the Manpower Services Commission to continue their work.

    Mr. Major I refer the hon. Member to my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Southampton, Itchen (Mr. Chope) on 22 May at columns 317 to 319.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Member’s Question – 9 June 1986

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Member’s Question on 9th June 1986.

    Dr. Godman Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services, further to his answer of 19 May, Official Report, column 63, when he expects to reply to the question from the hon. Member for Greenock and Port Glasgow on additional staff for special claims sections.

    Mr. Major I refer the hon. Member to my reply to him on 5 June 1986.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Reciprocal Social Security Agreements – 9 June 1986

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Reciprocal Social Security Agreements on 9th June 1986.

    Mr. Boyes Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he intends to seek to negotiate a reciprocal social security agreement with Canada; and if he will list in the Official Report the countries with which the United Kingdom has reciprocal social security agreements.

    Mr. Major There is already a social security convention between the United Kingdom and Canada, but it is limited in scope and does not include pensions.

    The United Kingdom has reciprocal social security conventions with the following countries:

    Austria
    Australia
    Belgium
    Bermuda
    Canada
    Cyprus
    Denmark
    Finland
    France
    Federal Republic of Germany
    Gibraltar
    Guernsey
    Iceland
    Ireland
    Isle of Man
    Israel
    Italy
    Jamaica
    Jersey
    Luxembourg
    Malta
    Mauritius
    Netherlands
    New Zealand
    Norway
    Portugal
    Spain
    Sweden
    Switzerland
    Turkey
    United States of America
    Yugoslavia

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Living Standards – 9 June 1986

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Living Standards on 9th June 1986.

    Dr. Godman Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he is able to estimate what percentage of the population of Greenock and Port Glasgow live at or below the supplementary benefit level; and what is his estimate of the national percentage living at or below supplementary benefit level.

    Mr. Major I regret that information on the percentage of people living at or below the supplementary benefit level in individual constituencies is not available. In 1981 just: over 14 per cent. of the population of Great Britain lived in families where the head was either receiving supplementary benefit or where the income of the family was below the supplementary benefit level.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Social Security Payments – 9 June 1986

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Social Security Payments on 9th June 1986.

    Dr. Godman Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what percentage of incomes in (a) Scotland, (b) Strathclyde and (c) Greenock and Port Glasgow are derived from social security payments; and what is the national percentage.

    Mr. Major Percentage information on Scotland is not available, but I refer the hon. Member to my replies to the hon. Member for Caernarfon (Mr. Wigley) on 22 April at columns 138 and 139 and 30 April at columns 431 and 432. I regret that information on Strathclyde and on individual constituencies is not available. On the national percentage, I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Newham, North-East (Mr. Leighton) today.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Retirement Pensions – 9 June 1986

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Retirement Pensions on 9th June 1986.

    Ms. Richardson Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services, pursuant to his answer of 15 May to the hon. Member for Barking, Official Report, columns 527-530, whether the retirement pension of those 5,733 people recorded as people in transit will be paid at current or frozen rates.

    Mr. Major The 5,733 people shown as “Countries not recorded (people in transit)” were known to be moving from one country to another but their new countries of residence were not included in the Department’s computer records at the time when the count was taken. Whether their pensions will be payable at current or frozen rates will depend upon the new country of residence.

    Ms. Richardson Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Barking, 15 May, Official Report, columns 527-530, how 828 retirement pensioners whose address is not known can receive a retirement pension abroad; and into what categories they fall.

    Mr. Major As these 828 pensioners have not provided their current addresses the appropriate rate of pension cannot be decided nor can payment be made. Information on the categories into which they fall is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

    Ms. Richardson Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Barking, 15 May, Official Report, columns 527-530, if he will set out the rules governing payment of benefit in those countries where some benefits are paid at current and others at partially unfrozen rates; and how many of the people listed as resident in each of those countries received their pension at current and at partially unfrozen rates.

    Mr. Major Current rates of pension are payable in all the countries listed as those where benefits are paid at current or partially unfrozen rates, except in Bermuda, Jamaica, and United States of America. In these three countries all increases since the respective agreements came into effect are payable, that is, from these dates:

    Country | Date

    Bermuda | 1 November 1969
    Jamaica | 1 October 1972
    United States of America | 28 September 1969

    In consequence, the great majority of pensions in these three countries are paid at current rates, but the precise numbers of people receiving full rate pensions are not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

    Ms. Richardson Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Barking, 15 May, Official Report, columns 527–530, if he will separate the figure for the average pension paid in countries where no increases are paid into the average paid to single people, to married men and to married women, respectively.

    Mr. Major The information requested is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

    Ms. Richardson Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Barking, 15 May, Official Report, columns 527–530, whether the numbers of beneficiaries listed include dependants; and if he will list separately the number of dependants.

    Mr. Major The numbers of beneficiaries listed do not include dependants. The number of these would be small, but precise figures are not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Social Security Payments (Newham) – 9 June 1986

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Social Security Payments (Newham) on 9th June 1986.

    Mr. Leighton Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what percentage of income in the London borough of Newham is derived from social security payments; and what is the national percentage.

    Mr. Major In 1984 approximately 16 per cent. of national household disposable income came from social security benefits. No comparable figure is available for the London borough of Newham.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Unclaimed Benefits – 9 June 1986

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Unclaimed Benefits on 9th June 1986.

    Sir Brandon Rhys Williams Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is his latest estimate of the amount of social security benefits left unclaimed on an annual basis, distinguishing between the main benefits.

    Mr. Major The following table sets out the latest available published figures:

    Benefit | Year | Amount unclaimed in £ million

    Supplementary Benefit | 1981 | 760
    Family Income Supplement | 1981-82 | 57
    One Parent Benefit 1982-83 | 18

    First estimates of unclaimed housing benefits, and further estimates for supplementary benefit, family income supplement and one parent benefit, will be available shortly.