Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Unemployment Benefit on 12th February 1986.
Mr. Kirkwood Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services according to the most recent available figures how many claimants are in receipt of unemployment benefit at less than the full rate (a) by sex and martial status and (b) where married, by sex and employment status of spouse.
Mr. Major I shall let the hon. Member have a reply as soon as possible.
Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Mrs. Gillian Stringer on 12th February 1986.
Mr. Pawsey Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when the hon. Member for Rugby and Kenilworth will receive a reply to his letters of 12 November and 2 January referring to Mrs. Gillian Stringer of Rugby.
Mr. Major I wrote to my hon. Friend on 10 February.
Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Social Security (Appeals) on 12th February 1986.
Mr. Harvey Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is his practice regarding intervening when a statement of grounds in an appeal under section 93 of the Social Security Act is identical to the original statement of grounds in his Department’s decision, although new evidence has been presented at that appeal and although the statute requires that any opinion previously expressed is ignored.
Mr. Major An intervention by the Secretary of State may not be made in respect of the content of a statement of grounds issued pursuant to regulation 14 of the Social Security (Adjudication) Regulations 1984. I assume that my hon. Friend has a specific case in mind, and if the details are provided I will write to him.
Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on War Pensions on 11th February 1986.
Mr. Pawsey Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services, if, pursuant to the answer of 3 February regarding disregard on war pensions, he will list those branches of the Royal British Legion which can readily be identified as having made representations on the subject; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Major [pursuant to his reply, 6 February 1986, c. 218]: Representations from the following Royal British Legion branches have been identified:
Royal British Legion Scotland –
Royal British Legion –
Royal British Legion –
Regular representations have also been received from the National Headquarters of the Royal British Legion and the Royal British Legion Scotland following resolutions taken at their annual conferences.
Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Unemployment Benefit on 11th February 1986.
Mr. McGuire Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will introduce legislation to seek to enable YTS trainees to qualify for unemployment benefit after they have completed their training; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Major To receive unemployment benefit a person must satisfy two conditions. First he must have actually paid a certain amount of Class 1 contributions at some time; and second, he must have paid or been credited with enough contributions in the relevant tax year. YTS trainees receive a training allowance, not earnings, and they are not in class 1 employment. They therefore do not pay contributions but they are given credits for the training period which assist them to satisfy the second contribution condition. A YTS trainee will therefore receive unemployment benefit only if he paid enough contributions before commencing training to satisfy the first contribution condition. The Government have no plans to alter this situation. Supplementary benefit, which is not dependent on contribution conditions, is available to trainees who are unemployed on completion of their training.
Mr. Robert Banks Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the benefit to the Exchequer of reduced unemployment benefits being paid to those who undertake duties in the Territorial Army volunteer reserve.
Mr. Major A reservist who is in receipt of unemployment benefit loses benefit of up to £5.07 for himself, or £8.21 if he has an adult dependant, for each day, other than Sundays, on which he undertakes duties in the Territorial Army Volunteer Reserve and earns more than £2. Supplementary benefit is reduced by the amount by which TA pay exceeds £32 in a month. Both benefits are withdrawn for the period of the annual camp. Information on the total amount of benefit withheld as a result of these procedures is not available.
Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Information Leaflets on 11th February 1986.
Mr. Irving Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what priority he is giving to translating his Department’s information leaflets and claim forms into the Welsh, Greek, Turkish, Chinese, Punjabi, Bengali, Gujurati, Hindi and Urdu languages respectively; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Major A selection of DHSS information leaflets and claim forms is produced in Welsh by the Department’s Wales and South Western Region in response to local requirements. Also in April 1985 the Department introduced “Which Benefit”, a comprehensive leaflet on social security benefit, in the Bengali, Chinese, Gujerati, Hindi, Punjabi and Urdu languages. Departmental evaluation of these projects is still in progress.
Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Post Offices (Services) on 10th February 1986.
Mr. Patchett Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what advice he has received from the consultants appointed by him to advise on the scope for the transfer of services provided on his behalf by Post Offices to other institutions; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Major No such consultancy exercise has been commissioned. I assume that the hon. Member is referring to the recent survey carried out on attitudes to methods and frequency of payment of benefit. The conclusions of the survey are now being studied.
Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Departmental Staff on 10th February 1986.
Mr. Freeson Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the approximate turnover of staff in grades of clerical assistant and clerical officers, respectively, in social security offices open to the public covering the Brent, East constituency, together with maximum and minimum rates of turnover naming the offices concerned.
Mr. Major I shall let the right hon. Member have a reply as soon as possible.
Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Mr. J. Lowry on 10th February 1986.
Mr. Tony Lloyd Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will indicate what progress concerning Mr. J. Lowry of 62 Parkhill Avenue, Rusholme, Manchester has been made since the letter to the hon. Member for Stretford from the Parliamentary Under-
Mr. Major I refer the hon. Member to the letter which my noble Friend sent to him on 5 February about the developments in Mr. Lowry’s case.
Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Single Payments on 10th February 1986.
Mr. Meadowcroft Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish in the Official Report comparable statistics on the total amount paid out in single payments to claimants in different areas, based on the smallest convenient geographical areas, and on the most recent convenient dates.
Mr. Major I am arranging for a table, showing the total amounts paid out in single payments by each of the Department’s local offices during the year ended 9 April 1985, to be placed in the Library as soon as possible.
Mr. Meacher Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will give, for the most recent month for which information is available (a) the number of single payment awards as a rate per 1,000 claimants and (b) the average single payment to (i) persons under pension age not required to register for work, (ii) persons under pension age required to register for work and (iii) persons over pension age for each social security office.
Mr. Major This information is not immediately available but will be obtained as soon as possible.