§ Dr. ThomasTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many individuals were in receipt of(a) unemployment benefit, (b) income support and income support premiums, (c) family credit, (d) national insurance retirement pensions, (e) supplementary benefit, (f) child benefit and (g) one parent benefit; and what were the average payments made in (i) Wales, (ii) the administrative districts of Gwynedd, Clwyd, Powys and Dyfed, (iii) the administrative district of Snowdonia national park and (iv) the district of Meirionnydd during the past 12 months.
§ Miss WiddecombeThe complete answer to this question is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate costs. This is because such statistics are collected at DSS and unemployment benefit office level and areas covered by these offices do not correspond to the administrative districts specified. Furthermore, the information that is routinely collected does not reflect the number of individuals in receipt during particular periods, it merely provides a "snapshot" of a given point in time.
Such information as is available and relates to Wales follows:
- (a) Unemployment Benefit; in May 1991, there were 28,610 individuals in receipt.
- (b) Income Support and Income Support Premiums; in May 1989, there were 246,000 customers in receipt of whom 169,000 were in receipt of one or more premiums. The average payment was £34.83
- (c) Family Credit; in November 1990, there were 21,300 persons in receipt. The average payment was £31.02.
- (d) Retirement Pension; in April 1990 there were 518,000 in receipt.
- (e) Supplementary Benefits; no customers in receipt of a weekly allowance
- (f) Child Benefit; in 1989, there were 348,000 persons in receipt. The average weekly payment was £13.94.
- (g) One Parent Benefit; in December 1989, there were 34,000 persons in receipt. The average weekly payment was £5.60.