§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether he will take steps to ensure that any draft regulations altering statutory sick pay rates from April 1991 are referred to the Social Security Advisory Committee in time for the Committee to allow a consultation period of at least six weeks, excluding Christmas week.
§ Mrs. Gillian ShephardThe proposed changes in statutory sick pay rates from April 1991 will be contained in an order to be made under section 7(1A) of the Social Security and Housing Benefits Act 1982 (as amended by paragraph 15 of schedule 6 to the Social Security Act 1990). Orders are not referred to the Social Security Advisory Committee. The order will be considered by each House under the affirmative resolution procedure.
§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what are the April 1990 and April 1991 equivalents of the rates of statutory sick pay introduced in April 1983 and the earnings bands to which they related, in real terms and as a proportion of average earnings, taking account of the best available estimate of April 1991 earnings.
§ Mrs. Gillian ShephardThe information is in the table:
211W
April 19901 Equivalents of earnings bands for SSP in April 1983 expressed as a percentage of male average earnings2 Earnings band at Earnings band at Equivalent value at 1990 prices at date of uprating As percentage of male average earnings (gross) April 1983 April 1990 April 1983 April 1990 £ £ £ per cent. per cent. Lower rate 32.50 to 48.49 46.00 to 124.99 48.24 to 71.97 19.7 to 29.4 15.6 to 42.3 Middle rate3 48.50 to 64.99 — 71.99 to 96.46 29.4 to 39.5 — Standard rate 65.00 or more 125 or more 96.48 or more 39.5 42.3 Notes:
1 Earnings and RPI details for April 1991 are not available
2 The majority of SSP recipients will get occupational sick pay on top of SSP when they are sick. In many cases this will bring the total payment received up to full pay.
3 The middle rate of SSP was abolished in April 1987.
§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what estimate he has made of the proportion of recipients of statutory sick pay who are also receiving occupational sick pay(a) of any amount and (b) to provide full basic pay when added to statutory sick pay, and the extent to which these proportions vary with duration of sickness.
§ Mrs. Gillian ShephardInformation is not available in the form requested, but research carried out by IFF Research Ltd. on behalf of the Department in 1988 shows that 91 per cent. of employees work for employers with occupational sick pay schemes. Of the private sector schemes, half cover all employees immediately regardless of other factors, for example, length of service and 83 per cent. top up SSP to full basic pay. Payments are usually made either for a fixed period of six months or vary according to length of service. The vast majority of SSP recipients are likely to be getting occupational sick pay.