The Rt. Hon. Sir John Major KG CH

Tag: 1985

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Lambeth – 12 November 1985

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Lambeth on 12th November 1985.

    Mr. John Fraser Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he is satisfied with the staffing levels of Department of Health and Social Security offices in Lambeth.

    Mr. Major The staffing of DHSS local offices which deal with claimants in Lambeth is as follows:-

    Office | Provisional complement 1985-86 | Staff in post 1 November 1985

    Kennington | 90 | 107

    Kennington Park | 97 | 109

    Brixton | 148 | 155

    Streatham | 122 | 135

    Balham | 156 | 176.5

    Battersea | 140 | 158

    Crystal Palace | 117 | 131.5

    Peckham | 141 | 142.5

    Southwark | 134 | 151.5

    Note: – The figures for complement are provisional and will alter when recent changes are implemented shortly.

    As will be seen each office is staffed above the complement which is determined by a complementing system – “A guide to the DHSS local complementing system” is in the Library – the purpose of which is to match numbers of staff to the work load. A fundamental requirement of the system is to establish a base complement and to update the base complement to take account of any changes. This is done by means of complement review. A complement review was begun on 14 October 1985 an when the results are known it will be possible to decide on what levels of staffing are appropriate to the work load. It is our intention to continue to match staff to work loads.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Supplementary Benefit – 12 November 1985

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Supplementary Benefit on 12th November 1985.

    Mrs. Beckett Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will now withdraw the Supplementary Benefit (Requirements and Resources) Miscellaneous Provisions Regulations (S.I. 1985, No. 613).

    Mr. Newton I refer the hon. Member to the announcement made in the House yesterday by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Services.

    Mr. Nellist Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many people are currently in receipt of supplementary benefit in the city of Coventry; and how this compares with 1979.

    Mr. Major The city of Coventry is covered by two offices of the Department, Coventry east and Coventry west, but their boundaries are not conterminous with the city of Coventry. The total number of persons in receipt of supplementary benefit on 30 July 1985 (the latest figures available), and 25 December 1979 – the earliest figures available for that year – were:

    Year | Coventry East | Coventry West

    30 July 1985 | 22,795 | 18,527

    25 December 1979 | 12,078 | 9,876

    Source: 100 per cent. count of cases in action.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on the Christmas Bonus – 12 November 1985

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on the Christmas Bonus on 12th November 1985.

    Mr. Roy Hughes Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will consider increasing the Christmas bonus for retirement pensioners.

    Mr. Major We have no present plans to do so.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Child Benefit – 12 November 1985

    The text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Child Benefit on 12th November 1985.

    Mr. Michael Forsyth Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many families have been disallowed child benefit for children over the age of 16 years because they are educating them at home; and whether he has any plans to change this position.

    Mr. Major The figures requested are not available although the numbers are thought to be small. Child benefit may be payable for a child over 16, when the child is not attending a recognised educational establishment, if the special educational arrangements have been authorised by the local authority. There are no plans to change these requirements.

  • Mr Major’s Sick Pay Answer – 12 November 1985

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s response (his first answering on behalf of the Government) to the Sick Pay debate, held on 12th November 1985.

    Mr. John Mark Taylor asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement on the minimum hours and earnings threshold for entitlement to statutory sick pay.

    The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health and Social Security (Mr. John Major) The earnings threshold for entitlement to statutory sick pay is the same as that governing liability to pay national insurance contributions, currently £35.50 a week. There is no qualifying rule about a minimum number of hours.

    Mr. Taylor I congratulate my hon. Friend on his first appearance on the Front Bench to answer questions. I thank him for his reply. Can he comment on the circumstances of an older employee in my constituency on £35 per week, but with some savings, who finds himself ineligible either for unemployment benefit or for sickness pay?

    Mr. Major I am grateful to my hon. Friend for his kind words. In the case of the man that he mentioned, if his earnings are below £35.50 he will have no entitlement to statutory sick pay. He may, of course, have an entitlement to sickness benefit, which would depend on his previous national insurance contributions. If, however, he falls outside statutory sick pay and state sickness benefit, he may have a residual entitlement to supplementary benefit.

  • Mr Major’s Economic Deprivation Answer – 12 November 1985

    The text of Mr Major’s response to the Economic Deprivation debate held on 12th November 1985.

    Mr. Stan Thorne asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what action he intends to take in regard to alleviating poorer people’s economic deprivation in the near future.

    Mr. Major The Government are pledged to protect the retirement pension and associated long-term benefits against rising prices, and have successfully done so. Ultimately, however, improvements in living standards depend upon economic growth and the control of inflation.

    Mr. Thorne Does not imposing additional charges, partly through rates and mortgages, on those in receipt of supplementary benefit create further hardship for those who are already deprived?

    Mr. Major We believe that ultimately the best way to deal with these matters is to put money in people’s pockets so that they may meet the charges. The hon. Gentleman picks a curious time to raise that criticism. He will be aware that a substantial uprating of benefits of around 7 per cent. is taking effect later this month.

    Mr. Forth Does my hon. Friend agree that the object of the review of social security is to ensure that benefits go to those most in need, and that the success of the review will be judged against that criterion?

    Mr. Major My hon. Friend is right. The White Paper which my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State will introduce shortly will set out the system which, we believe, will direct resources to those who most need them. I think that that will be a welcome innovation.

    Mr. Alfred Morris The Secretary of State was studiedly uncommunicative yesterday, as he has been today, about his detailed intentions for the future of SERPS. Can the Minister give a categorical assurance that there is no intention of amending SERPS so as to drop the rule under which every individual’s pension is based on his or her best 20 years’ earnings? Is he aware of the importance of that rule to very large numbers of severely disabled people and of the concern about its future among the organisations of the disabled?

    Mr. Major The right hon. Gentleman says that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State was uncommunicative yesterday. That may or may not have been so, but I have nothing to add to what he said.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Supplementary Benefit – 11 November 1985

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Supplementary Benefit on 11th November 1985.

    Mr. Nicholls Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what steps social security officers are obliged to take to establish the identity and address of claimants who present themselves for the payment of supplementary benefit.

    Mr. Major Social security officers should be satisfied that details of identity and address provided by claimants in connection with a claim for supplementary benefit are correct. When they consider it necessary officers are able to ask claimants to provide documentary proof.

    Mr. Nicholls Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what criteria adjudicating officers use in determining whether a person is available for work and therefore eligible for supplementary benefit.

    Mr. Major A claimant for supplementary allowance is required to be available for work (unless he is in a category exempt by regulations from this requirement). In determining availability the adjudication officer takes into consideration whether the claimant is occupied or engaged in any activity which would prevent him from taking employment. In addition the adjudication officer must be satisfied that the claimant is not imposing such restrictions on the nature or other conditions of employment he is prepared to accept, that he has no reasonable prospects of obtaining work. If there is reason to doubt the claimant’s availability at any time during the currency of his claim, the adjudication officer may review the case.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Computerisation – 30 October 1985

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Computerisation on 30th October 1985.

    Mr. Cartwright Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement about the progress of his Department’s planned computerisation of individual files.

    Mr. Major A substantial proportion of DHSS records are already held centrally on computers, including for example national insurance contribution records, retirement pension records, child benefit records and, on behalf of the Department of Employment, unemployment benefit records. Progress on our plans to redevelop these computer systems and extend computer support to DHSS local offices was set out earlier this year in Chapter 6 of the second volume of the Green Paper on reform of social security, “Programme for Change” (Cmnd. 9517). My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced on 11 September the decision to invite ICL to tender for computers to be used on the prototype for the local office project, the largest single project in the computerisation strategy.

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Fraud Investigators – 30 October 1985

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Fraud Investigators on 30th October 1985.

    Mr. Andrew F. Bennett Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many investigators into social security fraud are employed in (a) Greater Manchester, (b) Greater London and (c) the West Midlands.

    Mr. Major The number of posts allocated as investigators into social security fraud in the relevant local offices of the Department is as follows:

    Area | Number

    (a) Greater Manchester 107

    (b) Greater London 223

    (c) West Midlands 235

  • Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Student Awards – 29 October 1985

    Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Student Awards on 29th October 1985.

    Mr. Aspinwall Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make it his policy that the determination of the supplementary rate of grants in connection with student mandatory awards in education is made at a time in the year which will minimise delay by education authorities in paying student grants; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr. Major I shall let my hon. Friend have a reply as soon as possible.