§ Mrs. Wiseasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how much it would cost to make maternity grant noncontributory.
§ Mrs. Wiseasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many payments of maternity grant were made in 1977, or the latest available year; and how many births there were in that year.
§ Mr. Orme:586,800 payments of maternity grant were made in the year ended 31st March 1977, the latest available year. According to statistics published by the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys, there were 642,500 live and still births in Great Britain during that year.
§ Mrs. Wiseasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the real value of the maternity grant now as compared with when it was introduced.
§ Mr. Orme:On the basis of the movement in the retail price index between November 1969, when maternity grant was increased to its present level of £25, and October 1978 the real value of the maternity grant is now £8.65.