§ Mr. Kenneth Bakerasked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) what has been the total cost of redundancy payments in each of the last five years; what it is for current year; and what are the estimates for 1980–81, 1981–82;
(2) what was the average amount paid to individuals in respect of redundancy payments in each of the last five years; and what it will be in the current year;
(3) whether the statistics kept concerning redundancy payments show what proportion of such payments is made to people, who, havirg left their jobs, go immediately into retirement.
§ Mr. Jim Lester[pursuant to his reply, 1 April 1980]: The total cost of statutory redundancy payments and the average individual payments made during the past five financial years were as follows:
Total payments £ 1974–75 91,575,000 1975–76 201,991,000 1976–77 175,690,000 1977–78 160,151,000 1978–79 198,142,000 1979–80 169,767,000 (1st three quarters) Average payments £ 1974–75 431 1975–76 553 1976–77 605 1977–78 709 1978–79 770 1979–80 889 (1st three quarters) No estimate is available in respect of future years. No record is kept of the economic activity of beneficiaries following their redundancy, but there can be
220Wstarting courses in 1979–80, and the corresponding provision which it is proposed in present plans will be made for 1980–81.
no entitlement to a redundancy payment where an employee becomes redundant at or after the statutory retirement age.