§ Q3. Mr. Andrew F. Bennettasked the Prime Minister how many children were in households living on supplementary benefit in May 1979, 1980, 1981 and 1982, respectively; and if she will estimate the comparable figure for May 1983.
§ The Prime MinisterThe information that is available for the years in question is as follows:
The estimated figure for May 1983 is 1.75 million.
million November 1978 1.08 November 1979 0.96 December 1980 1.12 May 1981 1.37 May 1982 1.67
§ Mr. BennettDoes the Prime Minister accept that those are extremely depressing figures and represent a considerable restriction of freedom for a large number of people? In view of her belief in freedom, will she ensure that in the next Budget any money that is available will go to families with children, to reduce the number of people living in poverty and to increase their freedom?
§ The Prime MinisterThe hon. Gentleman will know that the number of children living on supplementary benefit also rose considerably during the lifetime of the Labour Government. Indeed, the figures for November 1979 and December 1980 were below the peak figures under the Labour Government. With regard to what we have done for children on supplementary benefit, the real value of that benefit has doubled since it started. Moreover, between November 1978 and November 1982, the period about which the hon. Gentleman asks, the Government increased the scale rates for children on supplementary benefit by 100 per cent. for the under-fives and the 11 to 12-year-olds and 65 per cent. for other children. In the same period, the RPI rose by only 56 per cent.
§ Mr. McCrindleDoes the Prime Minister agree that taking the figures in isolation, as the hon. Gentleman did, gives no indication of the situation of the family? Does she not welcome the creation of the family policy unit to assess the overall effect of Government policy on the family? Does not that make the position of the family under this Government infinitely clearer than do the hon. Gentleman's figures?
§ The Prime MinisterYes, we have created a family policy unit to take into account all policies and their effects on the family. I gave the figures for increases in supplementary benefit to demonstrate the priority that we have tried to give to the needs of those children.