§ Mr. David Steelasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT details on the growth of expenditure on national assistance and supplementary benefit for each year since 1948; and if he will 296W express these data as a percentage of gross national product.
§ Mr. DeanThe details are as follows:
UNITED KINGDOM Expenditure on National Assistance (plus non-contributory Old Age Pensions) and Supplementary Benefit Expenditure expressed as a percentage of the Gross National Product £million Per cent. 1949 79 0.71 1950 87 0.74 1951 96 0.74 1952 119 0.85 1953 126 0.83 1954 129 0.81 1955 121 0.71 1956 126 0.68 1957 132 0.67 1958 136 0.66 1959 154 0.72 1960 184 0.80 1961 179 0.73 1962 196 0.76 1963 225 0.82 1964 231 0.78 1965 246 0.78 1966 281 0.85 1967 392 1.12 1968 421 1.13 1969 489 1.24 1970 517 1.21 1971 634 1.31 1972 725 1.37