§ Mrs. Chalkerasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will estimate the percentage of all (a) two-parent and (b) single-parent families drawing supplementary benefits for 1975–76, and give similar figures for 1976–77.
§ Mr. OrmeIt is estimated that in December 1975, 3 per cent.—204,000—of all two-parent families in Great Britain were receiving supplementary benefit.166W Estimates of the total numbers of two-parent families in 1976 are not yet available, but the number in receipt of supplementary benefit in December 1976 is estimated to have been 230,000.
It is not possible to make a similar estimate in percentage terms for one-parent families because the total numbers of one-parent families for 1975 and 1976 are not known. The only estimate which can be made is that there were at least 650,000 in 1975. 298,000 are estimated to have been receiving supplementary benefit in December 1975, and the estimate for December 1976 is 320,000.
§ Mr. Doigasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many families in Dundee were in receipt of supplementary benefit at the latest convenient date.
§ Mr. OrmeThe precise number is not known. But the great majority of nearly 15,000 people who in December 1977 received supplementary benefit from the Dundee offices lived in Dundee.