Mr. Wm. Rossasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what are the sums being recovered weekly through social services payments towards the rent and rate strike in each local government area in Northern Ireland; and how many households are involved in each area.
§ Mr. Concannon,pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 12th July 1976; Vol. 915, c. 46], gave the following information:
473WInformation is not available in the form requested as it is not possible to distinguish between the recovery of arrears resulting from rent and rates strike and that of arrears with other causes; and because the statistics of sums recovered by benefit allocations are not kept by local government district. However, an analysis of recovery by way of benefit allocation for the period 5th April to 5th July 1976 in the public sector for each Housing Executive district is as follows:
District Amount (£) Belfast 1 … … 4,535.22 Belfast 2 … … 2,052.73 Belfast 3 … … 11,373.75 Belfast 4 … … 2,702.06 Belfast 5 … … 4,774.33 Belfast 6 … … 1,673.67 Newtownabbey 1 … … 1,753.81 Newtownabbey 2 … … 1,660.04 Larne … … 837.09 Carrickfergus … … 783.91 Newtownards 1 … … 748.10 Newtownards 2 … … 38.36 Bangor … … 172.69 Dundonald … … 965.34 Newtownbreda … … 70.07 Lisburn … … 2,001.17 Dunmurry … … 1,906.50 Newry 1 … … 4,453.97 Newry 2 … … 3,600.56 Kilkeel … … 151.21 Downpatrick … … 1,275.79 Bainbridge … … 55.44 Craigavon … … 2,609.88 Lurgan … … 4,484.19 Portadown … … 2,692.77 Armagh … … 3,587.58 Ballymena … … 1,772.80 Antrim … … 1,563.86 Omagh … … 846.14 Cookstown … … 1,096.75 Dungannon … … 3,841.19 Enniskillen … … 1,663.94 Londonderry 1 … … 6,663.91 Londonderry 2 … … 3,944.06 Londonderry 3 … … 360.67 Limavady … … 1,682.10 Strabane … … 4,073.29 Coleraine … … 2,652.80 Ballycastle … … 457.75 Ballymoney … … 372.13 Magherafelt … … 912.74 Total £92,784.76 The benefit allocations are currently being made to the Housing Executive in 2,170 cases.
474WIn the private sector, benefit allocations in respect of rates amounted to £7,404 from 5th April to 5th July 1976; there were 141 cases in April, 168 cases in May and 140 cases in June, but some individuals may appear in more than one month. No information is available about rent arrears in the private sector.