The Rt. Hon. Sir John Major KG CH

Category: 1983-1987 Parliament

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on War Widows – 25 November 1985

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on War Widows on 25th November 1985.

    Mr. Lofthouse Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he has any plans to award the second pension to pre-31 March 1973 war widows to bring them in line with service widows after that date.

    Mr. Major No. Pensions under the war pensions scheme administered by the Department are payable on the same basis to all widows irrespective of the date of their husband’s service. The pensions which are payable, in addition. under the occupational pension scheme for the Armed Forces to the widows of men who served since 31 March 1973 are a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Age Addition – 21 November 1985

    The text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Age Addition on 21st November 1985.

    Mr. Alton Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many people are currently in receipt of the age addition; and what is the anticipated increase in eligibility over each of the next 10 years.

    Mr. Major At March 1984 some 1,670,000 people over age 80 in Great Britain were in receipt of age addition.

    It is estimated that numbers over the next 10 years will be as follows:

    Year | Number

    1985-86 | 1,710,000
    1986-87 | 1,760,000
    1987-88 | 1,810,000
    1988-89 | 1,870,000
    1989-90 | 1,910,000
    1990-91 | 1,960,000
    1991-92 | 1,990,000
    1992-93 | 2,030,000
    1993-94 | 2,070,000
    1994-95 | 2,100,000

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on National Insurance Contributions – 21 November 1985

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on National Insurance Contributions on 21st November 1985.

    Mr. Wainwright Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services to what extent remuneration of employees by way of profit-sharing is exempt from employers’ and employees’ national insurance contributions.

    Mr. Major Profits distributed by way of bonuses form part of normal earnings and are therefore liable for national insurance contributions. The Social Security (Contributions) Regulations 1979 specify conditions under which profits distributed through trust funds or certain profit-sharing schemes are disregarded for the purposes of National Insurance contributions.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Mr. J. Lowry – 21 November 1985

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Mr. J. Lowry on 21st November 1985.

    Mr. Tony Lloyd Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) when the case of Mr. J. Lowry of 62 Parkhill Avenue, Rusholme, Manchester was first referred by the local office of his Department to him for a decision concerning an ex-gratia payment;

    (2) when he expects to respond to the letter from the hon. Member for Stretford of 8 October concerning Mr. J. Lowry.

    Mr. Major The case of Mr. Lowry was first received by officials for consideration of an ex-gratia payment on 4 March. I hope to be able to give the hon. Member a full reply to his letter of 8 October shortly.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Departmental Offices (Camden) – 21 November 1985

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Departmental Offices (Camden) on 21st November 1985.

    Sir Geoffrey Finsberg Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he is satisfied with the staffing levels of his Department’s offices in Camden, particularly at Melton Street.

    Mr. Major The staffing of the Department’s local offices which deal with claimants in Camden is as follows and has been determined in accordance with the Department’s complementing system, which aims to match the numbers of staff to the work load. A full complement review was begun on 14 October 1985 to reappraise the base complement for the Department and its results will be available in mid-1986 ‘A Guide to the DHSS Complementing System’ giving details of complementing arrangements is in the Library.

    Office | Complement 1985-86 | Staff in post 1 November 1985

    Euston (Melton St) | 160 | 172.5

    Cricklewood | 87 | 99

    Finsbury Park | 183 | 198

    Highgate | 190 | 210

    Neasden | 147 | 148.5

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Child Benefit – 21 November 1985

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Child Benefit on 21st 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 I shall let the hon. Member have a reply as soon as possible.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on “Reform of Social Security” – 21 November 1985

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on “Reform of Social Security” on 21st November 1985.

    Mr. Ron Brown Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he has received representations on the Green Paper “Reform of Social Security” from the Society for the Prevention of Asbestosis and Industrial Diseases; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr. Major The society wrote to the Department on 12 and 16 September. We have noted its observations and will take full account of them.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Social Security Tribunals – 21 November 1985

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Social Security Tribunals on 21st November 1985.

    Ms. Richardson Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list all current vacancies on social security tribunals.

    Mr. Major This is a matter for the president of social security appeal tribunals, His Honour Judge John Byrt, QC, and the hon. Member may care to approach him.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Benefits – 20 November 1985

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Benefits on 20th November 1985.

    Mr. Andrew Bowden Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) how many pensioner householders he estimates are receiving supplementary benefit additional requirements for service charges and ground rent paid by leaseholders; and what is the average amount of additional requirement paid for this purpose;

    (2) how many pensioners living in special leasehold housing schemes for the elderly receive supplementary benefit or housing benefit.

    Mr. Major I regret that the information requested is not available.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Departmental Files – 20 November 1985

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Departmental Files on 20th November 1985.

    Mr. Cohen Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what arrangements operate for the logging of those who have access to (a) computer and (b) manual files kept by his Department on individuals; and if he will describe the procedures in operation for both categories.

    Mr. Major Specific guidelines on security of automatically processed data in Government Departments are observed. They are contained in “Protection of Information in Computer Systems” and “Central Government Code of Practice No. 21”, issued by the Central Computer and Telecommunications Agency, which give recommended procedures to safeguard data in computer installations. Copies of these guidelines have been placed in the Library.

    Benefit and other files in central and local offices are available to all staff needing access to them for the efficient conduct of business. Security is enforced by physical and technical barriers, and members of staff are not allowed access to their own benefit, medical or personnel records nor, where known, to those of relatives or friends, but no centralised or local access record is maintained.