HC Deb 05 December 1983 vol 50 cc70-1W
Mr. Peter Robinson

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many reports have been issued by the Health and Social Services Committee of the Northern Ireland Assembly; and on which topics.

Mr. Chris Patten

The Health and Social Services Committee of the Northern Ireland Assembly has issued four reports covering education and training of mentally handicapped children; a proposal for a draft Housing Benefits (Northern Ireland) Order; structure and management of the health and personal social services in Belfast and Castlereagh; and the draft regional strategic plan for the health and personal social services 1983–88.

Mr. Peter Robinson

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) if he will list the recommendations made in the reports of the Health and Social Services Committee of the Northern Ireland Assembly which have been accepted by the Government;

(2) How many statutory and administrative rules have been commented upon by the Health and Social Services Committee of the Northern Ireland Assembly; and how many of these comments have been accepted by the Government.

Mr. Chris Patten

By 31 October 1983, the Government had responded to the Committee's report on proposals for a Draft Housing Benefits (Northern Ireland) Order. The following recommendations in that Report have been accepted by the Government:

  1. (a) the Government should consider ways of improving the protection available to losers under the new scheme;
  2. (b) the Government should deal with the problem of people issued with use and occupation books;
  3. (c) the Government should ensure that its proposed scheme is thoroughly publicised and should give consideration to the advantages of a well targeted leaflet drop;
  4. (d) administrative arrangements should be made to ensure that people 'floating off supplementary benefit are fully informed of the benefits to which they have continuing entitlements;
  5. (e) a duty should be imposed on the Housing Executive to make an assessment for housing benefit supplements;
  6. (f) steps should be taken to apply uniform administrative procedures to certificated and standard cases.

The Health and Social Services Committee has not commented on any of the statutory rules that have been referred to it by the Department of Health and Social Services. However, the Committee did comment in its above mentioned report on proposed draft housing benefits regulations; the comments accepted by Government are subsumed in the above recommendations.