HC Deb 02 March 1987 vol 111 cc495-8W
Mr. Meacher

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what plans he has to ensure that maternity grant will be paid for babies born up to and including Sunday 21 June 1987 whose mothers are entitled to claim the grant up to and including 5 April 1987 under the II-week rule, but have not done so.

Mr. Lyell

The Social Security Act 1986 provides that maternity grant will not be payable for babies due after 5 April 1987, unless they are born before that date. The current rule which permits claims to maternity grant eleven weeks in advance of expected confinement will not therefore have the effect assumed in the question.

Mr. Garrett

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many women in North Tyneside claimed the maternity grant in the last year for which figures are available.

Mr. Major

Information on the number of claimants to maternity grant is not available in the form requested. But in the 12 months ending 31 December 1986 the following numbers of claims to maternity grant were made at the Department's local offices which cover North Tyneside although the boundaries are not conterminous :

Numbers
Newcastle (East) 1,459
North Shields 1,108
Wallsend 889

Mr. Lofthouse

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many women in Pontefract, Castleford and Knottingley claimed the maternity grant in the last year for which figures are available.

Mr. Major

Information on the number of claimants to maternity grant is not available in the precise form requested.

Pontefract, Castleford and Knottingley are covered by the Department's local offices at Castleford and Pontefract, although their boundaries are not conterminous with the areas in the question. The numbers of claims to maternity grant received at these two local offices during the 1986 calendar year were as follows :

Numbers
Castleford 1,138
Pontefract 958

Mr. Ashley

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many women in Stoke-on-Trent, South claimed the maternity grant in the last year for which figures are available.

Mr. Major

Information on the number of claimants to maternity grant is not available in the precise form requested.

The Stoke-on-Trent, South constituency is covered by the Department's offices at Stoke (North), Stoke (South) and Newcastle (Staffs) and their boundaries are not conterminous with the constituency. The numbers of claims received for maternity grant at these local offices during the calendar year 1986 were as follows :

Numbers
Stoke (North) 2,605
Stoke (South) 1,807
Newcastle (Staffs) 1,572

Mr. Ashley

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many women in Stoke-on-Trent, South received maternity allowance in the last year for which figures are available.

Mr. Major

Information is not available in the form requested, but in the 12 months ending April 1986, the latest year for which figures are available, the following numbers of claims to maternity allowance were made at the Department's offices which cover Stoke-on-Trent, South although the boundaries are not conterminous :

Numbers
Newcastle (Staffs) 1,265
Stoke North 1,640
Stoke South 1,661

Mr. McNamara

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many women in the city of Hull and the Kingston upon Hull, North constituency, respectively, claimed the maternity grant in the last year for which figures are available.

Mr. Major

Information on the number of claimants to maternity grant is not available in the precise form requested.

The city of Hull and the Kingston upon Hull, North constituency are covered by the Department's local offices at Hull (East) and Hull (West) although their boundaries

are not conterminous. The numbers of claims for maternity grant received at the Hull local offices during the 1986 calendar year were as follows :

Numbers
Hull (East) 3,443
Hull (West) 2,862

Mr. McNamara

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many women in the city of Hull and the Kingston upon Hull, North constituency, respectively, received maternity allowance in the last year for which figures are available.

Mr. Major

Information is not available in the form requested. But in the 12 months ending April 1986, the latest year for which figures are available, the following number of claims to maternity allowance were made at the Department's offices which cover both the City of Hull and the North Hull constituency although the boundaries are not conterminous :

Numbers
Hull (East) 1,929
Hull (West) 1,927

Mr. Sheerman

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) how many women in Calder Valley received maternity allowance in the last year for which figures are available;

(2) how many women in Halifax received maternity allowance in the last year for which figures are available.

Mr. Major

Information is not available in the form requested, but in the 12 months ending April 1986, the latest year for which figures are available, 1,748 claims to maternity allowance were made at Halifax, the Department's office which covers both Calder Valley and Halifax although the boundaries are not conterminous.

Mr. Sheerman

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many women in Dewsbury received maternity allowance in the last year for which figures are available.

Mr. Major

Information is not available in the form requested, but in the 12 months ending April 1986, the latest year for which figures are available, the following numbers of claims to maternity allowance were made at the Department's offices which cover Dewsbury although the boundaries are not conterminous.

Numbers
Dewsbury 1,379
Huddersfield 1,678

Mr. Sheerman

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many women in Huddersfield received maternity allowance in the last year for which figures are available.

Mr. Major

Information is not available in the form requested, but in the 12 months ending April 1986, the latest year for which figures are available, 1,678 claims to maternity allowance were made at the Department's office at Huddersfield although the boundaries are not conterminous.

Mr. Sheerman

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many women in Calder Valley claimed the maternity grant in the last year for which figures are available.

Mr. Major

I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Sheffield, Heeley (Mr. Michie) on 18 February at column702.

Mr. Sheerman

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many women in Batley and Spenborough received maternity allowance in the last year for which figures are available.

Mr. Major

Information is not available in the form requested, but in the 12 months ending April 1986, the latest year to which figures are available, 1,379 claims to maternity allowance were made at Dewsbury, the Department's office which covers Batley and Spenborough although the boundaries are not conterminous.