HC Deb 10 December 1990 vol 182 cc304-5W
Mr. Oppenheim

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many new businesses have been set up since 1981 in(a) Amber Valley and (b) the east midlands.

Mr. Forth

The information requested, based on VAT registration data, is given in the table. Early indications for 1990 from data collected by Her Majesty's Customs and Excise are that in the United Kingdom as a whole there continues to be a substantial net increase.

diet or heating are already receiving help through the existing disability costs benefits and more will do so with the introduction of the new lower rates of the disability living allowance.

The proposed mobility and care components will deliver extra resources to people with a wide range of needs in addition to care and mobility.

Mr. Hannam

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate how many(a) single people living with their parents, (b) single people living in their own home, (c) married people without children and (d) married people with children will receive disability working allowance; and if he will estimate the average weekly payment for each group (a) to (d).

Mr. Scott

Estimates of the likely case load of disability working allowance can be only tentative. On this basis, we estimate that about half the people who get DWA will be single and half will have a partner. Around half the single claimants will be living in the household of their parents or in the household of another person. About a third of recipients will have children and most of these will have partners. We estimate that the average payment will be a little under £35 a week, but it is not possible to estimate average payments for different catetories of recipients with confidence.

Mr. Hannam

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what would be the increase in expenditure in gross and net terms if the capital limit for the disability working allowance of £8,000 was(a) removed altogether, (b) raised to £24,000 and (c) raised to £16,000; and how many people would become entitled to disability working allowance as a result.

Mr. Scott

Given the small numbers involved and the uncertainty about the characteristics of this group, it is not possible to estimate with confidence either the gross or net cost of raising or removing the upper limit.

Forward to