§ Mr. Newtonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will break down the number of supplementary benefit recipients in December 1976 whose benefit included provision for mortgage interest, so as to show how many were unemployed and indicate which were the other main categories.
§ Mr. OrmeThe information is as follows:
Unemployed … … 35,000 Over pensionable age … … 55,000 One-parent families … … 17,000 Sick and disabled … … 11,000 Others … … 2,000 Total … … 120,000 The figure for the unemployed is an estimate as collection of the statistics was affected by industrial action in unemployment benefit offices.