HC Deb 19 December 1974 vol 883 cc530-5W
Mr. D. E. Thomas

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what is the number of regular weekly payments and supplementary allowances paid to persons other than those unemployed in Great Britain, Scotland, Wales and the eight regions in England; and if she will express each figure per head of population;

(2) what is the number of regular weekly payments of supplementary allowances to unemployed persons in Great Britain, Scotland, Wales and the eight regions in England; and if she will express each figure per head of population;

(3) what is the number of regular weekly payments of supplementary pension in Great Britain, Scotland, Wales and the eight regions in England; and if she will express each figure per head of population, and per head of population aged 65 years and over.

Mr. Alec Jones

Information relating to 23rd April 1974 is given in the following table. I regret that it is not possible to provide information as at that date for each of the eight regions in England.

Number in receipt of supplementary benefit Number per 1,000 head of population
Total population* Pensioners Unemployed Other supplementary allowance recipients Pensioners Unemployed Other supplementary allowance recipients Population aged 65 and over* Number in receipt of supplementary pension† Number per 1,000 head of population aged 65 and over
Great Britain 54,460,600 1,821,000 319,000 591,000 33 6 11 7,422,400 1,821,100 245
Scotland 5,211,700 181,000 48,000 63,000 35 9 12 669,100 181,000 271
Wales 2,757,400 109,000 22,000 43,000 40 8 15 377,500 109,000 289
England 46,491,500 1,531,000 250,000 485,000 33 5 10 6,375,800 1,531,000 240
* Based on census estimate for mid-June 1973.
† Includes some female supplementary pensioners aged between 60 and 64.

Mr. D. E. Thomas

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many applications for disablement benefit under the Industrial Injuries Act originated from each of the counties of Wales in each year since 1953; how many originated from slate quarrymen and how many from coal miners; and how many were rejected.

Mr. Alec Jones

I regret that this information is not available.

Mr. D. E. Thomas

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the number of weekly payments of sickness benefit in Great Britain, Scotland, Wales and the eight regions in England; and if she will express the payment for each country and region per head of population.

Mr. Alec Jones

The following table gives the average weekly number of payments of sickness benefit in the 12 months ended June 1973, the latest period for which figures are available.

SICKNESS BENEFIT
Country or region Average weekly number of payments (thousands) Average number of payments per head of total population
Great Britain 486 0.009
Scotland 56 0.011
Wales 35 0.013
England 394 0.009
North 36 0.011
Yorkshire and Humberside 51 0.011
East Midlands 30 0.009
East Anglia 11 0.007
South-East 121 0.007
South-West 27 0.007
West Midlands 44 0.009
North-West 74 0.011

Mr. D. E. Thomas

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the number of persons in receipt of maternity benefit in Great Britain, Scotland, Wales and the eight regions in England during the last year for which figures are available; and if she will express each figure per head of population.

Mr. Alec Jones

It has been assumed that the Question relates to the weekly maternity allowance rather than to the lump sum maternity grant. The follow- ing table gives the number of people who received maternity allowance in the year ended December 1972.

MATERNITY ALLOWANCE
Country or region Number of women who received maternity allowance in 1972 (thousands) Number of maternity allowance awards per head of total population
Great Britain 225 0.004
Scotland 22 0.004
Wales 10 0.004
England 192 0.004
North 13 0.004
Yorkshire and Humberside 20 0.004
East Midlands 14 0.004
East Anglia 7 0.004
South-East 71 0.004
South-West 15 0.004
West Midlands 21 0.004
North-West 31 0.005

Mr. D. E. Thomas

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the number of weekly payments of disablement benefit in Great Britain, Scotland. Wales and the eight regions in England; and if she will express each figure per head of population.

Mr. Alec Jones

Following is the information:

DISABLEMENT BENEFIT
Country or region Number in payment (thousands) Number in payment per head of population
Great Britain 202* 0.004
England 157 0.003
North 24 0.007
Yorkshire and Humberside 22 0.005
East Midlands 11 0.003
East Anglia 4 0.003
South-East 38 0.002
South-West 8 0.002
West Midlands 19 0.004
North-West 30 0.004
Wales 25 0.009
Scotland 17 0.003
* Includes three thousand persons overseas.

Mr. D. E. Thomas

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the number of weekly payments of industrial injury benefit in Great Britain, Scotland, Wales and the eight regions in England; and if she will express each figure per head of population.

Mr. Alec Jones

Following is the information:

INJURY BENEFIT
Country or region Number in payment (thousands) Number in payment per head of population
Great Britain 55 0.001
England 41 0.001
North 6 0.002
Yorkshire and Humberside 8 0.002
East Midlands 4 0.001
East Anglia 1 0.001
South-East 9 0.001
South-West 3 0.001
West Midlands 4 0.001
North-West 7 0.001
Wales 6 0.002
Scotland 7 0.001

Sir George Young

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many recipients of supplementary benefit there are whose weekly benefit is between l0p and 19p inclusive, between 20p and 29p inclusive and between 30p and 39p inclusive, respectively.

Mr. Alec Jones

I regret that this information is not available in exactly the form requested, but the following table gives details of the regular weekly payments of supplementary benefit of 40p or under as at November 1973:

Amount Number
* 1p–10p 9,600
11p–20p 8,000
21p–30p 14,500
31p–40p 15,600
*Payments of less than 10p weekly arise only where supplementary benefit is paid together with, for example, unemployment benefit or retirement pension.