§ Mr. Teddy Taylorasked the Secretary of State for the Social Services how many persons were in receipt of sickness benefit in Scotland and Glasgow, respectively, in the most recent week for which figures are available; and if she will give comparable figures for the same period in each of the previous 10 years.
§ Mr. O'MalleyThe figures available are for Scotland as a whole, and relate to the numbers of persons recorded, for national insurance purposes, as incapable of work at the end of the statistical year, during the last six years. Figures for years earlier than 1969, and separate430W figures for claimants in Glasgow, are not available.
Persons claiming incapacity benefit in Scotland Date (end of statistical year) Claimants (males and females) Saturday, 31st May 1969 121,000 Saturday, 30th May 1970 122,000 Saturday, 5th June 1971 109,000 Saturday, 3rd June 1972* 112,000 Saturday, 2nd June 1973* 110,000 Saturday, 1st June 1974* 117,000 * Includes claims for invalidity benefit, the long-term counterpart of sickness benefit, introduced in September 1971.