HC Deb 24 July 1979 vol 971 cc208-10W
Mr. Thornton

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish at actual and at constant prices the figures for expenditure on personal social services for each of the past 15 years in (a) England and Wales as a whole, (b) metropolitan areas including the Greater London Council and (c) Merseyside.

Sir George Young

It is not possible to identify local authority expenditure on the personal social services in Merseyside or the metropolitan areas prior to 1 April 1974.

The information supplied by local authorities for the years 1974–75 to 1977–78 (the latest available) is as follows:

at five and 10 years previously, or the nearest available information to this.

Mrs. Chalker

I shall let my hon. Friend have a reply as soon as possible.

Mr. Race

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many (a) one-parent families and (b) two-parent families are full-time employees, part-time employees, self-employed, and not employed.

Mrs. Chalker

I shall let the hon. Member have a reply as soon as possible.

Mr. Race

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many (a) one-parent families headed by a women, (b) one-parent families headed by a man and (c) two-parent families, rely on State benefits, earnings from employment, maintenance payments, and other items as their main source of income.

Mrs. Chalker

I shall let the hon. Member have a reply as soon as possible.

Mr. Race

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services, at the latest available date, how many one-parent families received the higher rate of child benefit; how many of them do not benefit financially from doing so; how many lone parents who would benefit financially from the higher rate of child benefit do not receive it; and what steps he is taking to improve the take-up rate of child benefit increase.

Mrs. Chalker

In March 1979, it was estimated that 330,000 lone parents were receiving the higher rate of child benefit.

At the end of 1978, the latest date for which comparable information is available, about 70,000 out of the 315,000 lone parents then receiving the higher rate were deriving no immediate advantage because of the receipt of another benefit.

The last reliable estimate of the number of lone parents is based on 1976 figures. Applying this to the end of 1978, the estimate of those who could benefit financially from the higher rate but were not receiving it would have been about 75,000. This is not an accurate indicator, however, and the true figure may be significantly larger.

The number receiving the higher rate has been increasing steadily since 1977. This reflects the improved rates and the measures which are already being taken to encourage claims. I am considering what further action to improve take-up is practicable.

Mr. Race

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what would be the cost to public funds at November 1979 benefit rates (a) of making widowed mothers' allowance a non-contributory benefit and (b) of extending it to all one-parent families, showing in the calculation the effect of the extra rebates that would be paid, tax receipts that would be generated, and the income from maintenance pay- ments, assuming these to be recovered by the State.

Mrs. Chalker

I shall let the hon. Member have a reply as soon as possible.

Mr. Race

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many (a) one-parent families and (b) two-parent families, had incomes which were (i) below, (ii) at, (iii) 110 per cent. of, (iv) 120 per cent. of and (v) 140 per cent of supplementary benefit level at the latest available date; and in each case what was the total number of children involved.

Mrs. Chalker

I shall let the hon. Member have a reply as soon as possible.

Mr. Hooley

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what research has been carried out by his Department, or by other bodies known to him, about the number of children in care who come from one-parent families; and what further research on this subject is planned or under consideration.

Sir George Young

A survey carried out in 1970 was cited by the Association of Children's Offices in its evidence to the Finer committee.

The Department sought information from authorities in August 1978 but few were able to supply enough to enable worthwhile conclusions to be drawn. I have no plans for a further investigation at the present time.

Mr. Hooley

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many children were in care at 31 May; how many were from one-parent families; and how many from two-parent families.

Sir George Young

On 31 March 1977—the latest date for which figures are available—there were 96,200 children in the care of local authorities in England. The figures do not distinguish those from one and two-parent families.