§ Mr. KirkwoodTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many families claimed family credit 909W in the constituencies of Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale and of Roxburgh and Berwickshire in each of the last five years for which figures are available. [21529]
§ Mr. Roger EvansThe information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is set out in the table:
Number of family credit claims by Benefits Agency offices BA office April 1993 April 1994 April 1995 April 1996 January 1997 Edinburgh East 1,298 1,432 1,487 1,599 1,632 Edinburgh South 1,283 1,493 1,573 1,748 1,860 Galashiels 1,127 1,262 1,372 1,511 1,549 1. Family credit is a national benefit administered by the family credit unit in Preston. As such statistics are prepared on a national basis.
2. A periodic scan of the computer system is conducted which identifies the number of families in receipt of FC, at that given date, within the area covered by individual Benefits Agency office areas. Such scans do not produce accurate details with regard to the number of families receiving FC within such an area during any particular year, as each FC award is payable for 26 weeks and the figures serve only as a "snap-shot" of the situation at that particular date.
3. The above offices service the said constituencies.