Maternity Grant

HC Deb 09 April 1981 vol 2 c337W

Mr. Skinner

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will now increase the maternity grant to £100; and if he will make a statement.

Mrs. Chalker

To increase the maternity grant to £100 would cost about £55 million a year. Additional expenditure of this order cannot be afforded at present.

Mr. Skinner

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list the level of maternity grant provided by each member of the European Economic Community.

Mrs. Chalker

Information on the provision of maternity benefits, including, where it is payable, the level of maternity grant, is contained in the Department's publication "Social Benefit Tables for Member States of the European Communities: Position at 1 January 1980". A copy is in the Library of the House. This publication does not cover Greece, which became a member of the Community on 1 January 1981. The latest information I have on Greece is that it provides a maternity grant of 14,283 drachma.