HC Deb 01 February 1982 vol 17 c65W
Mr. John

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if he is in a position to give the figures for November 1981 omitted from tables 46.06 and 46.07 of Social Security Statistics 1981;

(2) if he will set out in the Official Report the rate of unemployment benefit for each year from 1951 to date, expressed as a percentage of average earnings;

(3) on what forecast rate of inflation the figures in tables 46.06 and 46.07 of the "Social Security Statistics 1981" for the value of unemployment benefit in November 1981 when expressed in terms of April 1981 prices were based; and if he will publish in the Official Report similar tables using the actual inflation figure for the year ended November 1981.

Mrs. Chalker

As explained in footnote (c) to tables 46.06 and 46.07 of Social Security Statistics 1981, the constant price figures for November 1981 assumed 10 per cent. inflation in the preceding year. Comparable figures based on the actual inflation rate of 12 per cent. are: for table 46.06, £21.42 and £34.66, and for table 46.07, £31.50 and £44.73. Provisional figures of benefit rates as a percentage of average earnings for the final columns of those tables are: for table 46.06, 17.5, 28.3, 14.9, and 24.1; and for table 46.07, 25.7 and 36.5. The tables, with the additional figures I have given, show the rates of unemployment benefit expressed as a percentage of average earnings at each uprating date from 1951.

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