HC Deb 16 January 1987 vol 108 cc342-5W
Mr. Hancock

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services in how many areas the severe weather payments have come into effect this winter so far.

Mr. Major

I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Bradford, West (Mr. Madden) on 13 January, at column 132.

Mr. Fatchett

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he has any plans to draw attention in the Leeds metropolitan district council area to the availability of severe weather payments for those in receipt of supplementary benefit.

Mr. Major

Advertisements about exceptionally cold weather payments have been placed in theYorkshire Post and Yorkshire Evening Post, which cover this area, and they will appear today. Articles about the scheme will appear in other local papers this week.

The regional information officer has been interviewed on local radio and has appeared on Yorkshire TV.

Advertisements will appear in the national press today and on commercial radio throughout the country.

Posters and leaflets have been issued to all of the Department's local offices, including the five offices serving this area.

Mr. Fatchett

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many people over retirement age received severe weather payments in the Leeds metropolitan district council area in 1984, 1985 and 1986; and what was the total cost of those payments for each year.

Mr. Major

Information on exceptionally severe weather payments is not collected by category of claimant. The total number and cost of payments made by the local offices which deal with the Leeds metropolitan district council area are as follows:

Week 5 January to 11 January 1987
Daily mean temperature
Weather station Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday Weekly mean temperature
Aberdeen AP 2.3 2.2 2.8 -1.0 -2.3 -3.4 -4.4 -0.6
Dumfries 5.6 2.9 1.3 -3.5 -3.3 -1.2 -4.9 -0.4
Edinburgh AP 3.3 2.8 -1.5 -4.0 -2.8 -2.3 -4.1 -1.2
Eskdalemuir 2.6 1.3 0.4 -5.6 -3.8 -2.2 -6.9 -2.0
Fort William 4.5 2.3 -1.8 -3.3 -1.0 -0.3 -1.3 -0.1
Glasgow AP 4.0 2.6 -1.8 -4.5 -1.8 0.6 -3.3 -0.6
Kinloss 2.6 2.5 1.8 -1.9 -3.0 -2.3 -4.0 -0.6
Kirkwall 2.9 3.1 2.6 2.6 1.4 1.9 -2.0 1.8
Lerwick 2.5 2.0 2.8 3.7 3.3 0.1 -2.6 1.6
Leuchars 2.8 3.1 0.4 -3.4 -2.3 -1.4 -2.3 -0.4
Machriphanish 5.0 4.9 0.0 1.0 1.5 2.5 -1.6 1.9
Prestwick 4.8 3.4 -1.0 -1.6 0.4 1.0 -3.9 0.4
Stornaway 3.4 3.5 3.0 2.5 3.3 0.5 -0.6 2.3
Whithorn 6.3 3.1 0.1 0.1 1.8 1.1 -2.3 1.5
Wick 2.1 2.1 1.5 -0.3 1.0 1.9 -1.0 1.1
Aberporth 6.1 5.5 2.4 0.6 2.0 2.0 -3.6 2.1
Brawdy 6.4 5.3 0.7 0.6 1.6 2.2 -3.3 1.9
Bristol 7.5 6.3 3.4 0.2 0.8 1.6 -3.5 2.3
Chivenor 7.9 6.9 1.2 0.3 1.6 2.9 -2.8 2.6
Cilfyndd 5.8 3.6 -1.0 -1.7 -1.4 0.6 -5.0 0.1
Culdrose 7.9 6.3 2.1 4.3 6.6 3.3 0.3 4.4
Exeter 7.6 5.7 0.9 0.0 1.5 1.9 -3.4 2.0
Lyneham 5.8 3.8 0.9 -1.4 -2.0 -0.3 -6.1 0.1
Mumbles 6.9 5.6 3.2 3.1 2.9 3.3 -2.3 3.3
Okehamplon 5.1 3.0 -1.0 -0.8 1.7 0.4 -5.0 0.3
Rhoose 6.9 4.7 1.5 -0.3 -0.2 1.4 -4.2 1.4
St. Mawgan 7.8 6.6 1.1 2.3 5.8 3.4 -2.3 3.5
Trawsfynydd 4.6 3.9 1.0 -0.5 -0.5 0.3 -4.8 0.6
Valley 7.0 6.2 2.0 0.9 2.3 2.1 -3.1 2.5
Yeovilton 6.8 5.7 0.3 -1.6 -1.1 1.1 -4.2 1.0
Brize Norton 6.1 4.0 0.5 -1.9 -2.0 -0.3 -4.8 0.2
Boscombe Down 6.0 4.3 0.3 -1.3 -1.3 0.6 -4.9 0.5
Bournemouth AP 5.6 4.9 0.1 -0.9 -1.4 1.5 -4.0 1.0
Mount Batten 8.5 6.6 2.3 2.4 4.7 2.5 -2.0 3.6
Easthampstead 6.5 3.6 -1.1 -2.0 -4.0 0.0 -5.0 -0.3
Gatwick AP 6.6 4.4 0.6 -2.7 0.0 0.0 -5.0 0.5
Herstmonceux 6.3 3.4 1.4 -1.3 -0.1 -0.1 -5.8 0.6
Manston 5.5 4.3 2.2 0.5 -1.3 -0.4 -4.8 0.9
Southampton W.C 7.3 5.3 1.8 1.3 1.3 1.8 -3.6 2.2

Year Number of payments Total cost £
1984 None Nil
1985 4,104 50,617
1986 13,608 219,284

Mr. Meacher

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will give (a) the minimum night temperature, (b) the daily mean temperature, (c) the weekly mean temperature for each of the weather stations used for calculating severe weather payments for the week 5 January to 11 January inclusive.

Mr. Gordon Brown

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services, if he will list, for the week 5 January to 11 January, the average daily temperatures for each weather station designated for measuring temperatures for exceptionally severe weather payments; and what was the lowest recorded temperature for each station during that week.

Mr. Major

[pursuant to his replies, 13 January 1987 and 15 January 1987]: The following table gives the information on daily and weekly mean temperatures for the week 5 January 1987 to 11 January 1987 inclusive. I shall let the hon. Member for Oldham, West (Mr. Meacher) have information on minimum night temperatures very shortly.

Daily mean temperature
Weather station Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday Weekly mean temperature
Heathrow AP 6.8 4.6 1.5 -1.7 0.2 0.5 -4.3 1.1
Stansted 5.3 3.4 0.1 0.0 -2.7 -1.2 -5.8 -0.1
Coltishall 4.5 3.9 2.8 -0.8 -2.2 -2.9 -5.3 0.0
Marham 4.8 3.1 0.8 -1.7 -1.9 -1.6 -7.2 -0.5
Wyton 5.9 3.1 0.3 0.0 - 1.5 -1.5 -6.0 0.0
Wattisham 4.5 2.5 0.0 -1.5 -2.5 -2.0 -7.0 -0.8
Honington 4.9 2.6 0.5 0.5 -1.5 -2.0 -6.7 -0.2
Bedford RAE 5.3 3.3 0.6 -0.8 -2.0 -1.5 -6.3 -0.2
Birmingham AP 6.2 3 4 0.8 -1.9 -2.0 -0.5 -5.4 0.1
Shawbury 6.1 3.8 0.1 -3.2 -2.8 0.1 -5.3 -0.2
Watnall 5.0 3.2 1.6 -0.9 -2.4 -1.3 -5.8 -0.1
Coningsby 5.1 3.4 0.8 0.4 -2.2 -0.6 -5.1 0.3
Binbrook 3.8 2.3 1.1 -0.6 -1.8 -1.2 -5.3 -0.3
Boulmer 4.1 3.4 2.5 -0.3 -1.0 -1.4 -3.6 0.5
Leeming 4.9 2.9 2.5 -1.4 -2.4 -1.4 -4.8 0.0
Leeds W.C 5.2 3.2 2.8 0.0 -1.3 -1.0 -4.8 0.6
Tynemouth 4.3 3.2 1.9 -0.3 -0.3 -0.7 -3.0 0.7
Finningley 5.0 3.6 2.0 -0.3 -2.3 -0.9 -5.0 0.4
Whitby CG 4.4 3.8 3.3 -2.4 -0.6 -2.1 -3.9 0.3
Aughton 6.2 3.6 1.1 -0.8 -0.6 0.5 -4.5 0.8
Blackpool AP 6.8 4.6 1.6 -2.5 -2.0 0.6 -4.6 0.6
Eskmeals 6.9 4.0 -0.3 0.3 -0.3 1.4 -3.6 1.2
Manchester AP 5.4 3.6 1.5 -1.0 0.3 0.5 -4.5 0.8
Carlisle 5.4 2.5 -0.5 -2.0 -1.4 -0.4 -4.8 -0.2

Mr. Greenway

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what would be the cost of paying £5 per week extra heating allowance to all current qualifiers for heating allowance from December to March, inclusive; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Major

About 2,830,0001 supplementary benefit claimants were in receipt of a weekly heating addition in 1984–85, the latest year for which information is available. If a £5 per week extra heating allowance was paid for a 17 week period from December to March inclusive, the cost would be around £240 million.

1Source: "Annual Statistical Enquiry 1984".
Mr. Barron

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when the severe weather payment for the week commencing Monday 12 January will be paid to the recipients.

Mr. Major

The Department's local offices have been instructed to give priority to exceptionally cold weather payments; to deal with claims for week commencing 12 January 1987 immediately on their receipt and to make payments as soon as the claim has been determined.