House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 19 Nov 1996 (pt 14)

Means-tested Benefits

Ms Mowlam: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the percentage of the population of Northern Ireland on means-tested benefit in each of the last 10 years. [3862]

Mr. Moss: The means-tested benefits are as follows:

income support
family credit
housing benefit

These benefits are paid to benefit units. A benefit unit is a single person or a couple, with or without children. As these statistics are for benefit units, it is not appropriate to use the population of Northern Ireland as the denominator. The number in receipt of the benefits is as follows:

Year	Income support(12)	Family credit(13)	Housing benefit(14)
1987	190,780	14,825	202,400
1988	183,715	14,839	160,000
1989	182,235	14,908	164,200
1990	188,643	14,500	164,200
1991	196,342	13,801	166,500
1992	204,940	15,819	166,500
1993	215,365	18,555	178,500
1994	222,621	22,052	180,700
1995	226,251	23,668	182,400
1996	229,461	24,995	186,700

(12) Data at May each year.

(13) Data at April each year.

(14) Average number receiving at any time.

19 Nov 1996 : Column: 510

Ms Mowlam: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what proportion of pensioners in Northern Ireland rely solely on means-tested benefits. [3860]

Mr. Moss: This information is not available in the form requested.

Uninhabited Housing

Ms Mowlam: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many (a) publicly owned houses and (b) privately owned houses in Northern Ireland he estimates are currently uninhabited. [3848]

Mr. Moss: The latest figures available are at 31 December 1995 and are as follows:

Public sector: 5,123
Private sector: 27,921
Total: 33,044

Construction Industry

Ms Mowlam: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the number of people employed in the construction industry in Northern Ireland in each of the last 10 years. [3852]

Mr. Moss: Northern Ireland employees in employment in the construction industry at June of each year are as follows:

Year Employees in employment

198626,370

1987 27,600

1988 28,180

1989 27,910

1990 28,760

1991 27,120

1992 26,000

1993 25,030

1994 23,550

1995 23,370

1996 22,430

Year	Employees in employment
198626,370
1987	27,600
1988	28,180
1989	27,910
1990	28,760
1991	27,120
1992	26,000
1993	25,030
1994	23,550
1995	23,370
1996	22,430

Note:

Figures round to the nearest 10.

Source:

Quarterly Employment Survey.

Private Tenants

Ms Mowlam: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what percentage of those receiving housing benefit in Northern Ireland are tenants of private landlords. [3850]

19 Nov 1996 : Column: 511

Mr. Moss: The latest figures available are for March 1996, when 17.5 per cent. of people in Northern Ireland receiving housing benefit were tenants of private landlords.

Public Housing

Ms Mowlam: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many publicly owned houses have been built in Northern Ireland in each of the last 10 years.[3851]

Mr. Moss: The information is provided in the table.

New build completions by Northern Ireland Housing Executive 1986 to 1995

New built completions

1986 2,222

1987 1,805

1988 1,653

1989 1,577

1990 1,324

1991 961

1992 958

1993 888

1994 878

1995 1,362

	New built completions
1986	2,222
1987	1,805
1988	1,653
1989	1,577
1990	1,324
1991	961
1992	958
1993	888
1994	878
1995	1,362

19 Nov 1996 : Column: 512

Ms Mowlam: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what estimate he has made of the total amount spent on the (i) building and (ii) maintenance of publicly owned housing in each of the last 10 years (a) in real terms, (b) as a proportion of the housing budget and (c) as a proportion of the total budget for Northern Ireland. [3854]

Mr. Moss: The information is provided in the table.

19 Nov 1996 : Column: 511

New housebuilding and maintenance by Northern Ireland housing executive 1986-87 to 1995-96Northern Ireland housing executive expenditure

1986-87 1987-88 1988-89 1989-90 1990-91 1991-92 1992-93 1993-94 1994-95 1995-96

New housebuilding

Cash 63.9 56.6 55.9 51.3 39.0 40.3 34.9 35.4 35.6 48.5

1995-96 prices 98.6 82.9 76.8 65.9 46.3 45.0 37.6 36.9 36.5 48.5

Maintenance

Cash 58.4 63.4 64.7 70.1 78.9 79.5 85.9 86.8 99.5 101.8

1995-96 prices 90.1 92.9 88.8 90.0 93.7 88.8 92.4 90.5 101.9 101.8

Total NI housing budget (cash) 535.7 545.6 557.7 516.3 511.4 536.3 551.6 558.9 573.7 602.8

Public expenditure NI block (cash) 4,499.0 4,828.0 5,111.0 5,395.0 5,525.0 6,018.0 6,580.0 7,085.0 7,407.0 7,823.0

	1986-87	1987-88	1988-89	1989-90	1990-91	1991-92	1992-93	1993-94	1994-95	1995-96
New housebuilding
Cash	63.9	56.6	55.9	51.3	39.0	40.3	34.9	35.4	35.6	48.5
1995-96 prices	98.6	82.9	76.8	65.9	46.3	45.0	37.6	36.9	36.5	48.5

Maintenance
Cash	58.4	63.4	64.7	70.1	78.9	79.5	85.9	86.8	99.5	101.8
1995-96 prices	90.1	92.9	88.8	90.0	93.7	88.8	92.4	90.5	101.9	101.8

Total NI housing budget (cash)	535.7	545.6	557.7	516.3	511.4	536.3	551.6	558.9	573.7	602.8
Public expenditure NI block (cash)	4,499.0	4,828.0	5,111.0	5,395.0	5,525.0	6,018.0	6,580.0	7,085.0	7,407.0	7,823.0

19 Nov 1996 : Column: 511

Percentage

1986-87 1987-88 1988-89 1989-90 1990-91 1991-92 1992-93 1993-94 1994-95 1995-96

Newbuild expenditure (cash) as percentage of total NI housing budget 11.9 10.4 10.0 9.9 7.6 7.5 6.3 6.3 6.2 8.0

Newbuild expenditure (cash) as percentage of PE NI block 1.4 1.2 1.1 1.0 0.7 0.7 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.6

Maintenance expenditure (cash) as a percentage of total NI housing budget 10.9 11.6 11.6 13.6 15.4 14.8 15.6 15.5 17.3 16.9

Maintenance expenditure (cash) as a percentage of PE NI block 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.4 1.3 1.3 1.2 1.3 1.3

										Percentage
	1986-87	1987-88	1988-89	1989-90	1990-91	1991-92	1992-93	1993-94	1994-95	1995-96
Newbuild expenditure (cash) as percentage of total NI housing budget	11.9	10.4	10.0	9.9	7.6	7.5	6.3	6.3	6.2	8.0
Newbuild expenditure (cash) as percentage of PE NI block	1.4	1.2	1.1	1.0	0.7	0.7	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.6

Maintenance expenditure (cash) as a percentage of total NI housing budget	10.9	11.6	11.6	13.6	15.4	14.8	15.6	15.5	17.3	16.9
Maintenance expenditure (cash) as a percentage of PE NI block	1.3	1.3	1.3	1.3	1.4	1.3	1.3	1.2	1.3	1.3

19 Nov 1996 : Column: 511

Negative Equity

Ms Mowlam: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many homes in Northern Ireland are affected by negative equity. [3856]

Mr. Moss: I am advised by the lending institutions that there is no reported negative equity in Northern Ireland.

Benefit Fraud

Ms Mowlam: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the number of cases of benefit fraud discovered in Northern Ireland in each of the last 10 years, indicating the estimated cost of these cases. [3858]

19 Nov 1996 : Column: 512

Mr. Moss: Responsibility for the subject has been delegated to the Social Security Agency under its chief executive, Mr. Alec Wylie, and I have asked him to arrange for a response to be given.

Letter from Jim Fleming to Ms Marjorie Mowlam, dated 14 November 1996:

As Mr. Wylie, Chief Executive of the Social Security Agency is absent at present, I am replying to your recent Parliamentary Question on benefit fraud.
You have asked for the number of cases of benefit fraud that have been discovered in the last ten years and also an indication of the estimated costs of these cases.

19 Nov 1996 : Column: 513

The potential cost to the Exchequer if these cases had not been detected is referred to as estimated benefit savings and details are set out on the attached table for the past nine financial years. Information is not available for 1986/87.
No records have been maintained on the cost of investigating each case.
I hope this explains the position for you but I would be happy to provide any further information you require.

Number of benefit fraud cases detected and the estimated benefit savings

Year	Number of cases of benefit fraud detected	Estimated benefit savings £ million
1987-88	2,625	3.6
1988-89	2,852	3.7
1989-90	3,820	4.6
1990-91	5,897	9.46
1991-92	6,567	10.4
1992-93	6,580	10.56
1993-94	7,260	11.57
1994-95	6,990	11.61
1995-96	5,179	15.62

Prisoners (Compassionate Temporary Release

Scheme)

Mr. Alfred Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he expects to announce the outcome of the review of the compassionate temporary release scheme for prisoners; and if he will make a statement. [3827]

Sir John Wheeler: Responsibility for the subject in question has been delegated to the Prison Service under its chief executive, Mr. Alan Shannon. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.

Letter from Alan Shannon to Mr. Alfred Morris, dated 19 November 1996:

The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to the Parliamentary Question that you asked about the review of the Compassionate Temporary Release Scheme.
The Prison Service has now completed its review of policy in relation to unescorted temporary release. We have concluded that Liam Heffernan's failure to return from leave was an individual action which does not in itself have implications for the behaviour of other prisoners who might apply for temporary release. We will therefore continue to operate a policy under which prisoners may be granted unescorted leave. However, we will continue to consider applications very carefully and they will be refused if it is felt that there is a significant risk of absconding or danger to the prisoner or the public. As an additional safeguard, we have put in place new arrangements that will ensure that certain sensitive cases, including the cases of prisoners applying for leave outside Northern Ireland, will be scrutinised by a more senior official in Prison Service Headquarters.

Next Section

Index

Home Page