HC Deb 26 July 1990 vol 177 cc489-91W
Mr. Meacher

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what would be the net cost of(a) abolishing, (b) reducing to one year and (c) reducing to six months, the two-year length of service qualifications for full-time workers employed for over 16 hours a week for receipt of statutory maternity pay;

(2) what would be the net additional cost of paying maternity allowance to (a) all full-time pregnant workers, (b) all part-time pregnant workers and (c) all pregnant workers;

(3) what would be the net cost of (a) abolishing, (b) reducing to one year and (c) reducing to six months, the five-year length of service qualification for part-time workers employed for at least eight but under 16 hours for receipt of statutory maternity pay;

(4) what would be the net cost of paying statutory maternity pay at the higher rate of nine tenths of the employee's average weekly earnings for the whole of the maternity pay period if the maternity pay period were (a) 18 weeks, (b) 26 weeks, (c) 39 weeks and (d) 52 weeks.

Mrs. Gillian Shephard

I will write to the hon. Member.

Mr. Meacher

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what would be the net cost of abolishing the capital rule for receipt of the maternity expenses grant for families claiming income support or other income-related benefits.

Mr. Scott

The information requested is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Mr. Meacher

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what would be the net cost of reintroducing the national insurance maternity grant set at a level of £100 per child.

Mrs. Gillian Shephard

The net cost of paying a universal maternity grant of £100 is estimated as about £56 million. This figure assumes maternity payments under the social fund would no longer be payable.