§ Mr. Litterickasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many civil servants are currently employed, directly and indirectly, in the administration of the Payment for Debt (Emergency Provisions) Northern Ireland Act 1971.
§ Mr. CarterThe number of civil servants currently employed in the administration of the Payment for Debt (Emergency Provisions) Act (NI) is 59 in the Department of Health and Social Services and 11 in the Emergency Office of the Master for the Enforcement of Judgements. This latter figure includes the equivalent of one full-time enforcement officer.
In addition, some members of staff in a number of Northern Ireland Departments spend unquantifiable amounts of time either directly or indirectly on work related to the administration of this Act, as part of their more general duties.
691W
§ Mr. Litterickasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much money has been collected in collection fees under the terms of the Payment for Debt (Cost of Collection) Order (Northern Ireland) 1976 in the last complete year for which figures are available.
§ Mr. DunnThe amount collected for the financial year 1976–77, the last complete year for which figures are available, was £110,678.93. This figures does not include collection charges made in respect of deductions from the wages and salaries of local government employees.
§ Mr. Litterickasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the cost of running the debt collecting systems being operated under the Payment for Debt (Emergency Provisions) Northern Ireland Act; and what was the total value of the debts reclaimed during the last complete year for which this information is available.
§ Mr. CarterTwo debt-collecting systems are operated under the Payment for Debt (Emergency Provisions) Act (NI) 1971, one by the Benefits Allocation Branch of the Northern Ireland Department of Health and Social Services, the other by the Emergency Office of the Master for the Enforcement of Judgements.
The net running cost, excluding unquantifiable costs of staff in departments and the creditor bodies who are involved in processing debts as part of their general duties, after deduction of collection charges and enforcement fees, was £548,843 for the financial year 1976–77.
The total value of debt reclaimed during the financial year 1976–77 was £1,391,756.
§ Mr. Litterickasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people are currently receiving a reduced public benefit as result of the operation of the Payment for Debt (Emergency Provisions) Northern Ireland Act 1971; and if he will publish figures showing the numbers of people in receipt of each benefit so affected.
§ Mr. CarterThe information as at 7th November 1977, is as follows:692W
Type of Benefit Number Supplementary Benefit … 994 Unemployment Benefit … 220 Sickness and Invalidity Benefit … 243 Retirement Pension … 103 Widow's Benefit … 124 Child Benefit … 4 1,688
§ Mr. Litterickasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people in Northern Ireland have so far entered into voluntary arrangements to repay a public debt under the procedures inaugurated by his Department in February 1977.
§ Mr. CarterThe Question cannot be answered in the form requested because these arrangements are made with the creditor at local or district offices. A proportion of such voluntary arrangements are broken, some being subsequently renewed and some lapsing permanently.
The approximate number of voluntary arrangements being operated by the four main public creditor bodies in Northern Ireland at the end of September 1977 was as follows:
Rating Division, Department of Finance 2,800 Northern Ireland Housing Executive 10,600 Northern Ireland Electricity Service 5,000 Belfast Gas 5,000
§ Mr. Litterickasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the current value of public debts, as defined by the terms of the Payment for Debt (Emergency Provisions) Northern Ireland Act 1971, outstanding in Northern Ireland; and if he will publish comparative figures for England, Wales and Scotland, respectively.
§ Mr. DunnI regret that information in the form requested is not readily available and could be obtained only at disportionate cost.
However, the position in Northern Ireland at 31st March 1977 in the main areas of public debt to which earlier statements have referred was as follows:
693W
£ million Rates … … … 4.5 Rent … … … 6.7 Electricity … … … 8.3 Gas … … … 3.1 There is no comparable legislation in Great Britain, and figures for the main areas of public debt in England, Scotland and Wales are the responsibilities of my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State concerned.
§ Mr. Litterickasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will publish a list of those public financial benefits currently liable to unilateral reduction by his Department under the terms of the Payment for Debt (Emergency Provisions) Northern Ireland Act 1971.
§ Mr. CarterThe information is as follows:
- Supplementary benefit
- Retirement pension
- Widow's benefit
- Sickness and invalidity benefit
- Unemployment benefit
- Industrial injuries benefits
- Child benefit (only where alternative recovery actions have failed)
§ Mr. Litterickasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will publish a list of those public financial benefits currently excluded from interference under the terms of the Payment for Debt (Emergency Provisions) Northern Ireland Act 1971.
§ Mr. CarterThe information is as follows:
- Attendance allowance
- Death grant
- Disability gratuity
- Disablement pension
- Guardian's allowance
- Family income supplement
- Invalid care allowance
- Maternity allowance
- Maternity grant
- Mobility allowance
- Non-contributory invalidity pension
- Special hardship allowance
§ Mr. Litterickasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many civil servants and local government employees are currently having deductions made from their wages and salaries under the powers granted by the Payment for Debt (Emergency Provisions) Northern Ireland Act 1971.
§ Mr. CarterUnder the powers granted by the Payment for Debt (Emergency Provisions) Act (Northern Ireland) 1971, 123 industrial and 36 non-industrial civil servants in the Northern Ireland Civil Service out of approximately 10,450 and694W 22,200, respectively, are currently having deductions made from their wages or salaries.
Information on the number of local government employees in Northern Ireland having such deductions made is a matter for the district councils.