§ Miss Richardsonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will provide figures for the latest available date of the number of unemployed in receipt of unemployment benefit only, divided into flat rate and earnings-related supplement, unemployment benefit plus supplementary benefit, supplementary benefit only and no benefit; and if he will give the main causes of the non-receipt of unemployment benefit and the numbers affected by each of these causes.
214W
§ Mrs. ChalkerI refer the hon. Member to the latest summary of half-yearly statistics of claimants to unemployment benefit, May 1979, tables 2 and 4, a copy of which is in the House of Commons Library.
§ Mr. William Hamiltonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the total paid in unemployment benefit in each six-months period from 1 January 1979 to the end of June.
§ Mrs. ChalkerThe estimated expenditure on unemployment benefit is as follows:
- January-June 1979—
- £307 million
- July-December 1979—
- £303 million
- January-March 1980*—
- £211 million (3 months)
* Reliable estimates are not available beyond the first quarter of 1980.