§ Mr. Lawrenceasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many persons in the United Kingdom have received social security benefits in each of the past five years.
§ Mr. DeakinsInformation is not available in the form requested, but on average the total number of benefits and allowances, including national insurance benefits, supplementary benefit, industrial injuries benefits, war pensions, family income supplement and family allowances being laid in the United Kingdom in any week, in the latest five yers for which figures are available was as follows:
1970 … … 18 million 1971 … … 18 million 1972 … … 19 million 1973 … … 19½million 1974 … … 19 million Many people receive more than one payment, so that the total number of persons is much less than the total number of benefits and allowances.