HC Deb 20 December 1982 vol 34 cc367-8W
Mr. Bowden

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is his latest estimate of the cost of administering the death grant.

Mr. Newton

About £10 million.

Mr. Bowden

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will estimate what the value of the death grant would need to be currently if it had kept its real value since 1948; and what would be the cost of paying such a grant in respect of all deaths.

Mr. Newton

The death grant first became payable in 1949, when it was £20. The present day equivalent would be £200. The total cost of paying a grant of this level in respect of all deaths would be about £145 million compared with the current cost of £25 million.

Mr. Bowden

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what feasible alternatives were proposed by respondents to the death grant consultative document.

Mr. Newton

All of the suggestions proposed by respondents as alternatives to the options put forward in the consultative document would require significantly increased total expenditure on the grant. In present economic circumstances no priority can be given to any proposal involving additional expenditure.

Mr. Bowden

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many representations his Department has now received on the death grant consultative document; how many supported any of the Government's options; and how many rejected the proposals altogether.

Mr. Newton

A total of 634 letters commenting on the proposals put forward in the consultative document has now been received. Of these 178 supported one or more of the options; 350 rejected all of the options put forward, and 106 covered other suggestions.