§ Mr. Barnesasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many civil servants are required to operate the family allowance scheme; and how many claimants this covers.
§ Mr. DeanAt 1st June, 1972, there were some 1,250 staff employed in the Family Allowances Branch at Newcastle Central Office. Additionally a smaller staff effort arises in other offices through-66W out the country, but to give a reliable estimate of this would involve an inordinate amount of work.
There are over 4¼ million families in receipt of family allowance for nearly 7 million children. The total number of children in these families, including the first child, for whom the allowance is not payable, is over 11 million.