§ Mr. Austin Mitchellasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will now provide the provisional 1980–81 figures referred to in his reply dated 15 November 1982, Official Report, c. 59, to the hon. Member for Grimsby of the numbers of insured persons together with the numbers paying reduced rate contributions; and what is his forecast in each case for 1983–84.
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§ Mr. RossiA total of 13,318,000 men and 8,773,000 women—2,844,000 of them married women and widows paying at the reduced rate—paid contributions in 1980–81. These are provisional figures covering everyone, except members of Her Majesty's forces, who paid any contribution in that year. I am afraid it is not possible to forecast numbers for 1983–84 on a similar basis.