§ Mr. David Steelasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT the number of exceptional circumstances additions for each year since 1964.
§ Mr. DeanFollowing is the information requested:
NUMBER OF EXCEPTIONAL CIRCUMSTANCES ADDITIONS 1964–1972 1964 1,095,000 1965 1,157,000 1966 — 1967 594,000 1968 527,000 1969 471,000 1970 445,000 1971 425,000 1972 482,000 The figures for 1964 and 1965 relate to discretionary additions under the national assistance scheme. From 1966, exceptional circumstances additions were given only in short-term cases, or in long-term cases where the extra expense was not covered by the long-term addition introduced for this purpose. The declining totals between 1967 and 1971 broadly reflect the disappearance of anomaly additions paid during the transition from one scheme to the other. Statistics were not collected during 1966.
624W
§ Mr. Leadbitterasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish the rates of basic retirement pensions for single persons and married persons, respectively, as a percentage of the average household incomes for the years 1970, 1971 and 1972; and how these compare with the latest available figures.
§ Mr. DeanThe information is given in the following table. The average household income figures are taken from the Family Expenditure Survey for the relevant year.