§ Mr. George Robertsonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will provide up-to-date figures, for the Hamilton area, indicating (a) the number of persons living below the official poverty line, (b) the number of persons on supplementary benefit, (c) the number of unemployed people claiming supplementary benefit and (d) the number of people not claiming supplementary benefit who are entitled to do so.
§ Mr. LyellInformation cannot be provided in the precise form requested. The table shows the number of supplementary benefit claimants at the Hamilton local social security office which covers Hamilton and outlying villages, including High Blantyre, Blantyre and Larkhall.
Supplementary Benefit Claimants on 13 August 1986(1) Numbers (thousands) Unemployed claimants 6,769 Pensioners 4,260 Other case2 4,869 Total3 15,898 Notes:
1100 per cent. count of cases in action.
2These are claimants under pension age who are not required to be available for work.
3A proportion of this total will be in receipt of benefits other than supplementary benefit.
§ Mr. Wigleyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services, using the 1983 "Family Expenditure Survey", how many people fell below supplementary benefit level, were on supplementary benefit and were on incomes up to 140 per cent. of supplementary benefit level in 1983, broken down by family type and economic status; what proportion each group was of the population of Wales; and how this compares with 1979 and 1981.
§ Mr. MajorI refer the hon. Member to my replies to my hon. Friend the Member for Derbyshire, South (Mrs. Currie) on 25 July at columns711–12 and to the hon.Member for Dunfermline, East (Mr. Brown) on 6 November at column 584.