§ Mr. AmosTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Services how many representations he has received to increase the non-discretionary amount of war widows' pension disregarded in the calculation of housing benefit.
§ Mr. PortilloOver the past year representations on this issue have been received from two organisations representing war pensioners. Additionally, about 50 letters have been sent by individual pensioners.
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§ Mr. AmosTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what would be the percentage increase in the social security budget if all war widows' pensions were disregarded in the calculation of housing benefit.
§ Mr. Portillo'We do not have the necessary information to make a very precise estimate, but in the context of a social security budget of around £46.5 billion in the current financial year, a full disregard of all war widows' pensions and allowances in the calculation of housing benefit would increase expenditure by less than 0.1 per cent.
§ Mr. AmosTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he has plans to increase the non-discretionary amount of war widows's pension disregarded the
Number of cases on in-patient waiting list for surgical specialties 31 March 1986 30 September 1986 31 March 1987 District Health Authority Urgent Non-urgent Urgent Non-Urgent Urgent Non-Urgent Leeds Eastern 595 4,939 493 4,543 445 5,523 Leeds Western 555 3,650 401 3,744 343 3,989 At 31 March 1986, 1,345 non-urgent cases had been on the waiting list more than one year in the Leeds eastern district health authority. This represented 23.8 per cent. of the total list. By 31 March 1987 the figure had fallen to 907 (15.0 per cent.). In the Leeds western district health authority at 31 March 1986, 807 non-urgent cases (18.4 per cent.) had been on the list for more than one year. By 31 March 1987 this had fallen to 732 (15.4 per cent).