§ Mr. McNamara To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) what total deductions were made from invalidity benefit in 1987 under the Payments for Debt (Emergency Provisions) Act (Northern Ireland) 1971; and what the breakdown was by health and social services board area;
§ (2) what total deductions were made from child benefit in 1987 under the Payments for Debt (Emergency Provisions) Act (Northern Ireland) 1971; and what the breakdown was by health and social services board area;
§ (3) what total deductions were made from widows' benefit in 1987 under the Payments for Debt (Emergency Provisions) Act (Northern Ireland) 1971; and what the breakdown was by health and social services board area;
§ (4) what total deductions were made from supplementary benefit in 1987 under the Payments for Debt (Emergency Provisions) Act (Northern Ireland) 1971; and what the breakdown was by health and social services board area;
§ (5) what total deductions were made from unemployment benefit in 1987 under the Payments for Debt (Emergency Provisions) Act (Northern Ireland) 1971; and what the breakdown was by health and social services board area;
§ (6) what total deductions were made from sickness benefit in 1987 under the Payments for Debt (Emergency Provisions) Act (Northern Ireland) 1971; and what the breakdown was by health and social services hoard area;
§ (7) what total deductions were made from retirement pensions in 1987 under the Payments for Debt (Emergency Provisions) Act (Northern Ireland) 1971; and what the breakdown was by health and social services board area.
§ Mr. NeedhamInformation is not available in the form requested. Deductions made under this legislation for the first three quarters of 1987 for which figures are available were as follows:—
1 January—30 September 1987 Invalidity Benefit 1,023,055.06 Child Benefit 52,238.64 Widows' Benefit 313,892.85 Supplementary Benefit 727,238.81 Unemployment Benefit 92,178.87 Sickness Benefit 9,762.96 Retirement Pensions 492,362.75
§ Mr. McNamaraTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) what total deductions were made from criminal damage compensation payments in 1987; and what the breakdown was by health and social services board area, under the Payments for Debt (Emergency Provisions) Act (Northern Ireland) 1971;
(2) what total deductions were made from criminal injury compensation payments in 1987; and what the breakdown was by health and social services board area, under the Payments for Debt (Emergency Provisions) Act (Northern Ireland) 1971.
§ Mr. StanleyThe information is as follows:
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£ Total deductions from criminal damage compensation payments 112,005 Total deductions from criminal injury compensation payments 106,748 A breakdown by health and social services board area is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
§ Mr. McNamaraTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the total amount was which was recovered in 1987 under the Payments for Debt (Emergency Provisions) Act (Northern Ireland) 1971; what the total administrative cost was for the recovery of this amount; and what proportion the latter was of the former.
§ Mr. StanleyIn the period 1 January 1987 to 30 September 1987, some £4.5 million was recovered under this legislation. Information on the total administrative cost is not readily available, and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
§ Mr. McNamaraTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what total amounts were deducted to recover each of rate arrears and rent arrears under the Payments for Debt (Emergency Provisions) Act (Northern Ireland) 1971 by each local council in 1987.
§ Mr. NeedhamThe collection of rent and rates are the responsibility of the Northern Ireland Housing Executive and the Department of the Environment respectively.
The information concerning moneys deducted under the Payments for Debt (Emergency Provisions) Act (Northern Ireland) 1971 in respect of rent and rates is not recorded in the form requested, and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
§ Mr. McNamaraTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what grants payable by Government Departments or agencies are subject to deductions under the Payments for Debt (Emergency Provisions) Act (Northern Ireland) 1971; and what total amounts were deducted from each in 1987.
§ Mr. StanleyAll grants payable by or on behalf of any Government Department or local or public authority may be subject to deductions under the legislation. Information on total amounts deducted from individual grants is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
§ Mr. McNamaraTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what total deductions were made from Government payments for conversion of gas heating and cooking services to other means, under the Payments for Debt (Emergency Provisions) Act (Northern Ireland) 1971; and what the breakdown was by health and social services board area.
§ Mr. ViggersNone.
§ Mr. McNamaraTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what total deductions were made from public sector employees earnings in 1987 under the Payments for Debt (Emergency Provisions) Act (Northern Ireland) 1971; and what the deductions were, broken down by Government Department or agency in which debtors were employed.
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§ Mr. StanleyThe total amount deducted from 1 January 1987 to 30 September 1987 was £1,430,251. The information on the breakdown of these deductions by Government Departments and other agency is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
§ Mr. McNamaraTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland from what benefits or other payments by state bodies deductions were made under the Payments for Debt (Emergency Provisions) Act (Northern Ireland) 1971 in the year 1987; what the total deductions were in each category; and from how many people deductions were made in each category.
§ Mr. StanleyThe benefits and other payments by state bodies from which deductions were made under the legislation in the first three quarters of 1987, and the total amounts deducted, were as follows:
1 January 1987–30 September 1987 £ Supplementary Benefit 727,239 Sickness Benefit 9,762 Child Benefit 52,239 Invalidity Benefit 1,023,053 Unemployment Benefit 92,178 Widows' Pension 313,892 Retirement Pension 492,362 Training Allowance Nil Personal Injury/Criminal Damage Compensation Claims 165,354 Public Liability Compensation Claims Roads Services 111,276 Water Service 16,171 On 31 March 1987 the four creditor bodies had in total 127,000 debt cases. Number of people from whom deductions were made in each category are not readily available.
§ Mr. McNamaraTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what total levels of debt existed in 1987 in each category for which deductions were made from debtors in that year under the Payments for Debt (Emergency Provisions) Act 1971.
§ Mr. StanleyAs at 1 April 1987 the total levels of debt in each category for which deductions were made from debtors under this legislation were as follows:
£ million NIHE (Rent, Rates and District Heating) 17.1 NIE (Electricity) 7.0 Rating Division 9.6 Belfast Gas 2.7
§ Mr. McNamaraTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland for what categories of debts payments were deducted from debtors in 1987 under the Payments for Debt (Emergency Provisions) Act (Northern Ireland) 1971; and what the total amounts deducted in each category were.
§ Mr. StanleyThe categories of debt for which payments were deducted from debtors under the legislation, and the total amounts deducted in each category for the first three quarters of 1987 were as follows:
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1 January 1987 to 30 September 1987 £ NIHE (Rent, Rates and District Heating) 2,674,489 NIE (Electricity) 1,549,838 Rating Division 107,472 Belfast Gas 104,075