§ Mr. Rookerasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he has any proposals to share some of the income to the National Health Service from private patients between hospital employees; and if he will make a statement.
§ Sir George YoungThe Department is discussing with health authorities ways in which income from private patients could be spent, preferably on identifiable projects, in the hospital where it was generated.
CHILDREN IN FAMILIES WITH THREE OR MORE CHILDREN ("LARGE FAMILIES") AT SPECIFIED INCOME LEVELS IN 1977 Family income below supplementary benefit level Family receiving supplementary benefit Family income between supplementary benefit level and 140 per cent, of that level Number of children in "large families" … … … 210,000 510,000 1,110,000 Percentage of all children in each group … … … … 50 52 52 Notes: 1. These estimates are subject to statistical error. All the figures have been rounded to the nearest 10,000. 2. The estimates for those families not receiving supplementary benefit, i.e. those whose incomes are either below supplementary benefit level or between supplementary benefit level and 140 per cent. of that level, are based on a Department of Health and Social Security analysis of incomes and other information recorded by respondents to the Family Expenditure Survey (FES) for1977. The estimates relate only to the population living in private households. Families and persons in institutions are not included in the FES sample. 3. The estimates for those families receiving supplementary benefit are derived from the Annual Statistical Inquiry of Supplementary Benefit Claimants. 4. The supplementary benefit level is taken as being the supplementary benefit scale rates appropriate to the family, using the long term rates for pensioners only. Income refers to net income less net housing costs, less work expenses where appropriate. 5. The comparison is based on the family's normal income in the normal employment of the family head. For example, where the head of the family had been off work due to sickness or unemployment for less than three months at the time of the survey, the family's normal income when the head was at work was used in determining the level of income. 6. The estimates for families with income below the supplementary benefit level do not indicate unclaimed entitlement to supplementary benefit. For example, those who are in full-time work or undertaking full-time further education would not normally have entitlement to supplementary benefit; for others not precluded from claiming, no regard is had in these estimates to factors such as disregarded income, treatment of capital or exceptional circumstances additions, each of which can affect payment of supplementary benefit.