§ Mr. Ralph Howellasked the Prime Minister what is the latest estimate of the annual cost of (a) unemployment benefits, (b) supplementary benefits, (c) rent and rate rebates and other housing support for the unemployed, (d) extra social security benefits to which unemployed persons are entitled such as free school meals, (e) administrative costs of welfare benefits for the unemployed, (f) all job creation and youth training schemes and (g) lost taxes through the unemployed.
§ The Prime MinisterThe estimated cost in 1983–84 is as follows:
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- (a) £1,675 million.
- (b) £5,255 million. A broad estimate of supplementary benefit paid to unemployed persons only including an adjustment for rent and rates previously paid with supplementary benefit is £4,100 million.
- (c) The cost of housing benefits to unemployed persons cannot be separately identified.
- (d) The cost of other benefits payable to unemployed persons, not necessarily as a consequence of being unemployed, cannot be separately identified.
- (e) The administrative cost of paying unemployment benefit and supplementary benefit to unemployed persons is about £500 million. The cost of paying other benefits cannot be identified separately.
- (f)
1983–84 estimates £ million Special employment measures for adults 1. Community Enterprise Programme/Community Programme 382 2. Voluntary Projects Programme 8 3. Enterprise Allowance 28 4. Temporary Short Time Working Compensation Scheme 34 5. Job Splitting Scheme 29 6. Job Release Scheme 300 7. Part-time Job Release Scheme 4 Employment and training schemes for young people 8. Youth Opportunities Programme/Youth Training Scheme 936 9. Careers Service Strengthening Scheme 12 10. Community Industry 25 11. Young Workers Scheme 75 1,833 12. Adult Training 276 2,109 13. Department of Education and Science School Leavers Scheme 87 2,196 Say £2–2 billion.
(g) There is no basis for estimating what tax receipts would he if there was no unemployment.