§ Mr. VazTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement concerning the cost to public funds of employing ministerial special advisers in his Department.
§ Mr. HagueThis Department employs one special adviser.
Table a. Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit for employed people Standard Statistical Regions May 1989 May 1990 Housing Benefit (thousands) May 1991 May 1992 May 1993 Council Tax Benefit (thousands) May 1993 North (including Cumbria) 12 11 16 14 18 25 Yorkshire and Humberside 14 26 16 24 21 33 East Midlands 11 13 14 17 17 25 East Anglia 9 8 8 9 11 13 London 33 34 42 44 47 30 South East (excluding London) 28 32 43 41 46 43 South West 18 21 22 22 24 28 West Midlands 24 24 24 25 24 29 North West (excluding Cumbria) 30 21 29 29 35 54 Wales 11 15 12 11 13 11 Scotland 36 32 30 31 32 31 Great Britain 226 236 255 268 288 321 Source:
The Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit Management Information System annual 1 per cent. sample enquiry taken at the end of May for each year.
Notes:
1. For Housing Benefit, comparable figures, including the regional analysis, are not available prior to 1989.
2. Council Tax Benefit was introduced in April 1993. Figures for Community Charge Benefit are not comparable.
3. The figures given are those cases without Income Support who have earnings, which may be part-time or full time.
4. The figures are for benefit units, not individuals. A benefit unit may be a couple or a single person.
5. The figures have been rounded to the nearest thousand. Therefore the sum of the regions may not equal the total for Great Britain.
Table b. Family Cridit Family Credit Thousands DSS administrative regions May 1989 May 1990 May 1991 May 1992 May 1993 Northern 54 56 62 72 88 Midlands 54 58 66 74 91 London north 32 35 39 45 57 London south 27 28 31 38 48 Wales and south west 46 47 49 57 68 North western 53 53 59 65 79 Scotland 37 38 42 47 57 Great Britain 303 315 347 397 489 Source:
Figures are based on a 5 per cent. sample of awards as at the end of May each year.
Note:
1. Family Credit replaced Family Income Supplement in April 1988.
2. Figures relate to families. A family includes at least one person in employment as an employee or self employed.
3. In April 1992, the qualifying hours for Family Credit were reduced from 24 to 16.
746WSalaries for special advisers are negotiated individually in relation to their previous earnings and are confidential. They are, however, normally paid on a special advisers' salary spine of 34 points, ranging from £19,503 to £67,609. Appointments are non-pensionable and the salary spine reflects this.