§ Mr. Sproatasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the total cost to public funds in 1975–76 and in 1976–77, respectively, of paying benefits in respect of the following: attendance allowance, child's special allowance, constant attendance allowance, death grant, family allowance, family income supplement, guardian's allowance, hospital pocket money, industrial death benefit, industrial 29W disablement pension, injury benefit, invalid care allowance, invalidity allowance, invalidity pension, maternity allowance, maternity grant, mobility allowance, old person's pension, rent rebate and allowance, retirement pension, sickness benefit, student grant, supplementary benefit, unemployability supplement and allowance, unemployment benefit, war widow's pension, war disablement pension, war orphan's pension, widow's allowance, widowed mother's allowance and widow's age-related pension; and what percentage of the GNP this total sum represents.
§ Mr. Joel BarnettTotal public expenditure in 1975–76 in the United Kingdom on social security benefits, rent rebates and allowances and student grants is provisionally estimated as £9,920 million. The corresponding estimate for this year is £12,000 million. Expenditure in 1975–76 was equivalent to 10.2 per cent. of the gross national product at factor cost and I would not expect the percentage to be very different this year.