§ Mr. Frank Allaunasked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what would have been the approximate reduction in expenditure on supplementary 294W benefits in outturn prices in 1977–78 in England and Wales if (a) council tenants' rents, (b) council tenants' rates, (c) private tenants' rents and (d) private tenants' rates, respectively, had been excluded from the calculation of claimants' requirements:
(2) if a further special exercise has been conducted to assess by how much supplementary benefit expenditure would be reduced if housing costs were excluded from the calculation of claimants' requirements, since the exercise conducted in 1974 and referred to in Command Paper No. 7049-II, part 2, chapter 7, paragraph 6; and, if so, what were the findings of the exercise.
§ Mr. DeakinsI have been asked to reply.
An exercise similar to that of 1974 is currently being carried out. The results should be available within the next few weeks, and I shall write to my hon. Friend when they are. Meanwhile, the reduction in expenditure on supplementary benefit if housing costs had been excluded from the calculation of claimants' requirements in 1977 is estimated at something over £700 million.