§ Mr. Cryerasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will give the number of people in receipt of supplementary benefit in 1979 and 1986 and 1987 at the most recent practicable date.
§ Mr. PortilloFigures from the quarterly statistical inquiry show that in February 1979 there were 2,964,000; in February 1986, 4,912,000; and February 1987, 5,008,000.
§ Mr. John Evansasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the value in real terms of the long-term supplementary benefit rates for a single householder and a married couple as a proportion of average earnings compared with their value after the November 1977 uprating.
§ Mr. ScottThe information is as follows:
Single householder Supplementary benefit long-term scale rates as a percentage of net male manual earnings Couple November 1977 34.6 51.5 April 1987 29.1 44.3