The Rt. Hon. Sir John Major KG CH

Category: 1983-1987 Parliament

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Maternity Payments – 7 April 1987

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Maternity Payments on 7th April 1987.

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

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

    The Rother Valley constituency is covered by the Department’s local offices at Rotherham North and Rotherham South, although their boundaries are not conterminous with the constituency. The numbers of claims for maternity grant received at the two Rotherham local offices during the 1986 calendar year were as follows:

    Area | Number
    Rotherham North | 769
    Rotherham South | 2,577

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

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

    The Colne Valley constituency is covered by the Department’s local office at Huddersfield, although its boundaries are not conterminous with the constituency. The number of claims for maternity grant received at the Huddersfield local office during the 1986 calendar year was 2,651.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Disabled Persons – 7 April 1987

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Disabled Persons on 7th April 1987.

    Mr. Wareing Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what plans he has to implement section 7 of the Disabled Persons (Services, Consultation and Representation) Act 1986.

    Mr. Alfred Morris Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a further statement about the Government’s intentions in relation to sections 5 and 6 of the Disabled Persons (Services, Consultation and Representation) Act 1986.

    Mr. Major I discussed how best to proceed towards the further implementation of the Disabled Persons (Services, Consultation and Representation) Act with representatives of the local authority associations on 24 February. It was agreed that urgent discussions at official level should proceed to determine more realistic estimates of the costs of those parts of the Act which have resource implications, including sections 5, 6 and 7. I agreed to meet the associations to review progress in May.

    Mr. Thurnham Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he is considering further proposals to help the disabled; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr. Major The Government will continue to seek opportunities to build upon their record of improved provision for disabled people. The full results of the survey of disabled people being carried out by the Office of Population, Censuses and Surveys are expected to be published in 1988 and will provide us with evidence relevant for a review of benefit provision for sick and disabled people.

    Mr. Alfred Morris Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what further representations he has received on the implementation of the Disabled Persons (Services, Consultation and Representation) Act 1986.

    Mr. Major Since my reply to the hon. Member for Caernarvon (Mr. Wigley) on 1 April at column 521 another 33 written representations have been received from organisations or individuals relating to implementation of the Disabled Persons (Services, Consultation and Representation) Act 1986.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Pensioners (Incomes) – 7 April 1987

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Pensioners (Incomes) on 7th April 1987.

    Mr. Andrew Bowden Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what estimate his Department has made of the percentage increase in real terms of pensioners’ incomes from savings since 1979.

    Mr. Major Pensioners’ incomes from savings grew in real terms by 52.5 per cent. between 1979 and 1985, the latest date for which figures are available.

    (Note – figures are obtained from the Family Expenditure Survey and relate to pensioner tax units i.e. single pensioners and married couples where the husband is over 65.)

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Unemployed Persons (Mortgage Interest) – 7 April 1987

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Unemployed Persons (Mortgage Interest) on 7th April 1987.

    Mr. Hoyle Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how much he expects to save by the changes in the regulations on payment of mortgage interest for the unemployed; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr. Major The estimated saving from the recent changes to the regulations on the amount included in supplementary benefit for mortgage interest for new claimants under 60 is £38 million in the year 1987-88, based on the latest available information.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on the Social Fund – 7 April 1987

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on the Social Fund on 7th April 1987.

    Mrs. Beckett Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when he expects to publish guidelines for the operation of the social fund.

    Mr. Major Draft directions and guidance were sent to interested organisations on 25 March, and I refer the hon. Member to my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Lancashire, West (Mr. Hind) on 25 March at column 211. The final version of the directions and guidance will be published nearer the introduction of the second phase of the social fund in April 1988.

    Mr. Fisher Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when he expects to be able to indicate the criteria on which budgets for local offices will be set for the social fund.

    Mr. Major I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Members for Sheffield.. Heeley (Mr. Michie), for Barking (Ms. Richardson) and for Leyton (Mr. Cohen) earlier today.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Severe Disability Premium – 7 April 1987

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Severe Disability Premium on 7th April 1987.

    Mr. Matthew Taylor Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement on the proposed level of severe disability premium.

    Mr. Major The proposal is to set it at the same level as invalid care allowance. That rate is currently £23.25; the actual rate payable from April 1988 would be determined nearer the time.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Pensioners (Heating Allowance) – 7 April 1987

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Pensioners (Heating Allowance) on 7th April 1987.

    Mr. Bill Walker Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will give details of the number of pensioners who are in receipt of a heating allowance.

    Mr. Major It is estimated that nearly 1.5 million pensioners were in receipt of a heating addition in 1984, the latest year for which information is available.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Personal Pensions – 7 April 1987

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Personal Pensions on 7th April 1987.

    Mr. Gerald Bowden Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what further proposals he has to encourage the take-up of personal pensions.

    Mr. Major The introduction of freestanding additional voluntary contributions in October and the earlier start for personal pensions in January 1988, both announced by the Government last month, have attracted great interest. We will be taking steps later this year to explain the new pensions choices and opportunities that will be available as a result of last year’s Social Security Act. It will be for the personal pensions providers themselves to sell their products.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Invalid Care Allowance – 6 April 1987

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Invalid Care Allowance on 6th April 1987.

    Mr. Freud Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list the highest 10 payments of arrears of invalid care allowance paid by his Department in the last six months.

    Mr. Major The 10 largest payments of arrears of invalid care allowance made in the last six months were each for £2,717.75.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on the Chronically Sick – 6 April 1987

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on the Chronically Sick on 6th April 1987.

    Mr. Tony Lloyd Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many cases of alleged breach by local authorities of section 2 of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970 are currently under investigation by his Department, how long each case has been under investigation; and when a decision will be made as to whether any of the cases currently under investigation constituted default by the local authority.

    Mr. Major Six cases of alleged breach of section 2 of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970 are currently outstanding. In three cases investigations have been under way for seven months, in one case for one year and four months, in one case for one year and five months, and in one case for two years and seven months. Decisions as to whether any of the cases constitute default by local authority will be made as soon as possible.