§ Mr. Frank Fieldasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list the average number of children for whom child additions were paid in respect of (a) national assistance/supplementary benefit, (b) each of the short-term additional insurance benefits and (c) each of the long-term national insurance benefits for each year since 1954.
§ Dr. Boyson[pursuant to his reply, 12 March 1984, c. 65]: The available information in respect of (a) national assistance/supplementary benefit is given in the following table. The information on (b) short-term benefits and (c) long-term benefits since 1954 could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Number of children dependent of supplementary benefit—Great Britain (Thousands) As at November/December of the year Children Under 16 Over 16 All Children 1954 363 5 368 1955 306 3 309 1956 319 4 323 1957 344 4 348 1958 387 4 391 1959 448 5 453 1960 436 6 442 1961 399 7 406 1962 536 6 542 1963 529 6 535 1964 431 5 436 1965 456 7 463 1966‡ n.a. n.a. — 1967 698 8 706 1968 735 12 747 1969 772 12 785 1970 782 14 796 1971 950 16 966 1972 945 17 962 1973 780 18 798 1974 854 20 874 1975 1,051 27 1,078 1976* 1,141 31 1,172 1977† 1,122 33 1,155 1978 1,048 34 1,082 1979 923 32 955 1980 1,088 36 1,124 1981 1,493 57 1,550 1982 1,721 70 1,791 Source: Annual Statistical Inquiries.
* Estimated figures due to industrial action in unemployment benefit offices.
† Due to change in the method of estimation the figures are not comparable to previous year.
‡Information not available as there was no inquiry in 1966.