The Rt. Hon. Sir John Major KG CH

Category: 1983-1987 Parliament

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on the Retirement Age – 7 March 1986

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on the Retirement Age on 7th March 1986.

    Mrs. Renée Short Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services on what factors his Department bases its conclusion that any change in respect of a flexible age of retirement would need to be phased in over 10 years.

    Mr. Major The Department has no firm views on the length of time that would be needed, but certainly it would have to be sufficient to enable individuals affected to adjust their plans, and to enable occupational pensions schemes to make any necessary consequential adjustment. A period would also be needed to allow state earnings-related pensions to build up to ensure those retiring below the normal pension age had adequate pension provision.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Pensioner Households – 7 March 1986

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Pensioner Households on 7th March 1986.

    Mr. Andrew Bowden Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish estimates of the number of pensioner households who do not take up housing benefit to which they are entitled.

    Mr. Major We expect to be able to publish estimates of take-up of housing benefit, based on the 1984 family expenditure survey, within the next two months.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on National Insurance Contributions – 6 March 1986

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on National Insurance Contributions on 6th March 1986.

    Mr. Michael Forsyth Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the normal practice regarding reassessment of previous years’ liabilities under class 1 national insurance contributions, primary or secondary, where a Department of Health and Social Security inspector has re-classified a self-employed person as an employee under the terms of the Social Security Acts.

    Mr. Major The normal practice is to assess earlier liability under class 1 when a person previously paying class 2 contributions is re-categorised as an employee. However, full account is taken of all the circumstances before a decision is made to require payment by the employer of any amount due. Rulings by the Department’s national insurance inspectors about liability to pay contributions, including rulings on the class of contributions due, are open to challenge by those affected if they wish, and then become questions for formal determination by the Secretary of State under section 93 of the Social Security Act 1975.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Housing Benefit – 6 March 1986

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Housing Benefit on 6th March 1986.

    Mr. Wainwright Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many pensioner households in the area served by the Huddersfield benefit office lost housing benefit as a result of the changes which came into effect in November 1985; and how many of these lost (a) up to £1 a week, (b) between £1 and £2 a week, (c) between £3 and £4 a week and (d) more than £3 a week.

    Mr. Major I regret this information is not available.

    Dr. Godman Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what information he has as to the proportion of council house tenants in (a) Inverclyde, (b) Strathclyde and (c) Scotland who receive housing benefit;

    (2) what information he has as to the proportion of domestic ratepayers in (a) Inverclyde, (b) Strathclyde and (c) Scotland who receive housing benefit.

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

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on School Leavers (Benefits) – 6 March 1986

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on School Leavers (Benefits) on 6th March 1986.

    Mr. Wainwright Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the latest estimate for the number of 1985 school leavers who had their benefit cut as a result of leaving YTS prematurely or refusing to take up a place on the scheme; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr. Major It is not possible to distinguish between school leavers and others. The number of young people who had their supplementary benefit reduced because they had without good cause (a) refused, or (b) left prematurely, a place on the youth training scheme during the period 16 January 1985 to 14 January 1986 was: 338 and 5,427 respectively.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Sickness Benefit – 5 March 1986

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Sickness Benefit on 5th March 1986.

    Mr. Alfred Morris Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) how many people received reduced rate sickness benefit in each of the last five years for which figures are available; and how many of these subsequently obtained invalidity benefit;

    (2) what would be the annual cost of paying sickness benefit to anyone who had paid or been credited with contributions on earnings of 25 times the lower earnings limit in the relevant tax year;

    (3) what is his estimate of the number of people each year who will fail to qualify for invalidity benefit as a result of the proposal in the Social Security Bill to abolish reduced rate sickness benefit.

    Mr. Major I shall let the right hon. Member have replies as soon as possible.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Pensioners (Payments Overseas) – 5 March 1986

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Pensioners (Payments Overseas) on 5th March 1986.

    Mrs. Renée Short Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many British passport holders living in South Africa, New Zealand, Australia and Canada are at present claiming British state pension; and what proportion of them are receiving it at 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983 and 1984 levels.

    Mr. Major On 31 December 1985 British widows’ and retirement pensions were being paid to 19,763 pensioners living in South Africa, 23,672 in New Zealand, 99,129 in Australia and 56,451 in Canada. As entitlement to pension depends on the claimant’s national insurance contribution record and not nationality, it is not known how many are British passport holders. The other requested information is not available; it could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Cookers (Single Payments) – 5 March 1986

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Cookers (Single Payments) on 5th March 1986.

    Mr. Tony Lloyd Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what instructions he has issued to local offices of his Department about guidelines issued to claimants of single payments concerning reconditioned and new cookers; if he has expressly forbidden the use of maximum prices in such guidelines; if he will indicate the circumstances under which a single payment would be given for a new cooker; if he will indicate what he considers to be a reasonable distance for claimants to travel to seek suitable reconditioned cookers; and if local offices issue lists of firms which supply reconditioned cookers.

    Mr. Major The matters raised are dealt with in the guidance contained in circular S36/85, a copy of which I sent to the hon. Member under cover of my letter of 11 November 1985. Copies of the circular are also in the Library. I also refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my hon. Friend to my hon. Friend the Member for Aldridge-Brownhills (Mr. Shepherd) on 24 February, at columns 476-78, announcing the reference to the Social Security Advisory Committee for consultation of proposals for changes to the single payment regulations which would, among other changes, introduce a standard sum for cookers.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Pensioner Households – 4 March 1986

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Pensioner Households on 4th March 1986.

    Mr. Andrew Bowden Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many pensioner households receiving (a) certificated housing benefit and (b) standard housing benefit are subject to non-dependant deductions.

    Mr. Major Precise information is not available, as these details are not collected centrally. Our estimates suggest that there are about 180,000 pensioner households receiving certificated housing benefit, and 270,000 pensioner households receiving standard housing benefit, from which a deduction is made in respect of non-dependants.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Legal Proceedings – 4 March 1986

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Legal Proceedings on 4th March 1986.

    Mrs Renée Short Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many cases of legal proceedings have been instituted by private citizens against his Department during the last seven years.

    Mr. Major Information regarding the number of cases of legal proceedings instituted by private citizens against the Department in England and Wales during the last seven years is not readily available prior to 1985, and the cost of obtaining the information would be disproportionate.

    Since the beginning of 1985 476 such cases (embracing applications for judicial review in the High Court, appeals to the Court of Appeal from decisions of social security commissioners, actions by way of writ in the High Court, county court actions and originating applications to industrial tribunals) have been counted. It is not possible to give precise figures because the conduct of litigation commenced against the Department is shared by the solicitor’s office to the Department and Treasury Solicitor and there is no central point of control.

    The figures do not include applications for leave to appeal and appeals to the Court of Appeal by private citizens against the decisions of the social security commissioners where the Secretary of State for Social Services was not a party. I have asked my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland to let the hon. Member have the information relating to Scotland, which is a separate jurisdiction.