§ Mr. SteinbergTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will update the information contained in his answer to the hon. Member for Manchester, Withington (Mr. Bradley) of 29 February 1996,Official Report, columns 709–10, relating to home responsibilities protection. [21064]
§ Mr. HealdThe information available is given in the table:
Thousands 1993–94 1994–95 Total with entitlement1 2,769 2,758 Number ceasing due to increased contributions 199 218 Number ceasing due to retirement pension — — Number ceasing due to other reason 147 168 1. Entitlement—HRP used where earnings or credits are not sufficient for a qualifying year for pension purposes.
2. Figures are for U.K.
3. Figures for 1994–95 are not complete as some employers tax returns may not have been received at the time of the extract.
4. Excludes women with a reduced rate option.
5. The sample only includes people who have been allocated a national insurance number and excludes some people who did not have a NINO at the time of the child benefit award.
Source:
1 per cent. sample of national insurance recording system records taken at February 1996—home responsibilities protection statistics 1994–95.
§ Mr. SteinbergTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what estimate he has made of the number and proportion of women with earnings below the lower 913W earnings limit in the most recent available year whose circumstances would qualify them for home responsibilities protection. [21061]
§ Mr. HealdThe information required to make such an estimate is not available.
The national insurance recording system holds details of eligibility for home responsibilities protection for those who meet the relevant criteria. However, it is not possible to identify separately women who are in employment and have earnings below the lower earnings limit for payment of national insurance contributions because neither they nor their employers are required to provide details of such earnings.