Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Supplementary Benefits on 2nd December 1985.
Mrs. Beckett Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services in each year since its introduction, what has been the gross and net saving from the removal from (a) 16 and 17-
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 Sick Leave on 2nd December 1985.
Mrs. Renée Short Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many security officials employed by offices of the Department of Health and Social Security have taken sick leave during the past six years; if he will list the average periods of time that this has lasted during the same period; what level of damage has been done to Department of Health and Social Security property during the same period; and what costs have been incurred resulting from repair work.
Mr. Major I regret that the information requested is not available.
Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Exceptional Needs Payments on 2nd December 1985.
Mr. Ralph Howell Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will now estimate the percentage of manpower spent on administering exceptional needs payments (single payments) in his Department’s supplementary benefit local offices.
Mr. Major About 5.5 per cent., just over 2,000 posts, of the supplementary benefit complement is estimated to be allocated to administering single payments.
Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Fraud Investigators on 28th November 1985.
Mr. Meacher Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if any remuneration, additional to basic rates of pay, is offered to fraud officers, special investigators or specialist claim control officers on the basis of success rates or productivity.
Mr. Major No.
Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Public Expenditure (Benefit Take-
Mr. Kirkwood Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what level of take-
Mr. Major Forecasts of expenditure on means-
Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Housing Benefit on 27th November 1985.
Mr. Greenway Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what information he has as to the amount of housing benefit paid to students in each of the past 10 years; what the projected figure is for the current and coming years; how many students received such payments in each year; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Major The Green Paper on social security indicates the Government’s view that it would be right in principle to return to the situation which existed before the introduction of supplementary benefit in 1966, with students being helped through the grant system, by their families, and by their own earnings in vacation. We are continuing to give consideration to how progress in this direction may most appropriately be made.
Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Benefits on 27th November 1985.
Sir Brandon Rhys Williams Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what are his latest estimates of the average, maximum and minimum times it takes to process a claim for housing benefit, distinguishing between certificated and standard housing benefit.
Mr. Major I regret that estimates are not available. The responsibility for the administration of the housing benefit scheme rests with individual local authorities. Information about the speed with which claims are processed is not collected centrally.
Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Child Benefit on 26th November 1985.
Mrs. Renée Short Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list the number of single mothers who have withdrawn claims for child benefit in each single year since 1979, the number of case papers which have been requested from benefit officers’ staff by social security fraud squad officers in each single year since 1979; and if he will list the total number of officers who have been employed by his Department as fraud squad investigators during the same period giving a breakdown of the regions of the country to which they have been assigned.
Mr. Major [pursuant to his reply, 21 November 1985, c. 285]: I regret that the information requested concerning withdrawn claims for child benefit is not available. If the hon. Member has in mind the Department’s special claims control teams which were set up in 1981 and are the only fraud staff working in groups, the following table sets out a region by region breakdown of staff numbers for the last two years and a national total for the preceding two years. The number of case papers referred by benefit officers to the teams is not available.
Region | 1984-
North East | 32 | 28 | — | —
Midlands | 33 | 22 | — | —
London North | 27 | 21 | — | —
London South | 23 | 20 | — | —
Wales and South West | 22 | 33 | — | —
North West | 30 | 37 | — | —
Scotland | 22 | 14 | — | —
National Total | 189 | 175 | 141 | 147
Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on War Widows (Pensions) on 26th November 1985.
Mr. Amess Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will consider reviewing the financial arrangements for war widows’ pensions.
Mr. Major War widows pensions are kept under regular review. They were increased on 25 November by seven per cent. The age allowances which are payable with war widows pensions, and which were improved significantly last year, were also increased by seven per cent. from 25 November.
Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on the Christmas Bonus on 25th November 1985.
Mr. Parry Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what the 1985 Christmas bonus would be if it had been raised in line with (a) the rise in the retail price index and (b) the increase in average earnings.
Mr. Major I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Coventry, South-