§ Ms AbbottTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many women earning above the average income for full-time women workers claimed maternity benefit in 1996–97; and if she will make a statement. [23024]
§ Mr. DenhamThe information is not available in the form requested.
The Government aim to ensure that the maternity pay arrangements for working women are modern, fair, easy to understand and administer.
310WThe latest information available is for 1995–96. In that year the average income for full-time woman workers was £13,423. 58,000 women earning over that figure received some Statutory Maternity Pay in that year.
§ Mr. Peter BottomleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if she will estimate the savings to public funds if maternity pay were restricted to a maximum of(a) £20,000 and (b) £10,000 a claim. [23048]
§ Mr. DenhamThe information on which to base a reliable estimate is not available. A reliable estimate could be made only at disproportionate cost.
§ Mr. WebbTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what proportion of statutory maternity pay is received by those earning(a) under £100, (b) £100 to £199, (c) £200 to £299, (d) £300 to £399, (e) £400 to £499, (f) £500 to £599 and (g) £600 per week or more. [23215]
§ Mr. DenhamThe information is not available in the form requested. Such information as is available is in the table.
Weekly earnings of those who received statutory maternity pay as a proportion of all statutory maternity pay paid Weekly earnings Proporation of SMP received during year (per cent.) Under £100 17 £100 to £199 28 £200 to £299 23 £300 to £399 16 £400 to £499 7 £500 to £599 4 £600 and over 5 Source:
The Lifetime Labour Market Database (LLMDB), a 1 per cent. sample of the National Insurance Recording System taken at February 1997.
Notes:
1. Figures are for Great Britain and are rounded to the nearest whole per cent.
2. Weekly earnings are estimated from the amount of Statutory Maternity Pay during the tax year 1995–96 by the amount of statutory maternity pay received as a proportion of all statutory maternity pay paid. This estimate is based on the SMP being paid for 6 weeks at 90 per cent. of pay and for 12 further weeks at the flat rate of SMP, and the whole period of statutory maternity pay falling in one tax year.
§ Mr. WinnickTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if she will list the percentage and total number of those who received weekly sums above(a) £5,000, (b) £7,500, (c) £10,000, (d) £15,000 and (e) £20,000 in maternity benefits for the first six weeks in (i) 1994, (ii) 1995, (iii) 1996 and (iv) 1997. [22873]
§ Mr. DenhamThe information is not available in the form requested and can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
§ Mr. WinnickTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if she will list the average weekly payment in(a) 1994, (b) 1995, (c) 1996 and (d) 1997 for maternity benefits in the first six weeks. [22874]
311W
§ Mr. DenhamThe information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is in the table.
Average weekly statutory maternity pay inthe first six weeks to those in receipt of statutory maternity pay during each tax year Tax year Average weekly SMP payment (£) 1993–94 112 1994–95 126 1995–96 138 Source:
The Lifetime Labour Market Database (LLMDB), a 1 per cent. sample of the National Insurance Recording System taken at February 1997.
Notes:
1. Figures are for Great Britain and are rounded to the nearest whole pound.
2. Weekly amounts of SMP are estimated from the amount of SMP during the tax year. This estimate is based on the SMP being paid for 6 weeks at 90 per cent. of pay and for 12 further weeks at the flat rate of SMP, and the whole period of SMP falling in one tax year. This may lead to weekly amounts of SMP being underestimated for people whose claim spans two tax years.