§ Mr. David Youngasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many unemployed have been in receipt of social security benefit in each of the last five years; if he will publish a breakdown by sex and by region; 56W if he will give figures for Bolton; and if he will express these figures as a percentage of the employed population in each case.
§ Mr. David Youngasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many (a) men and (b) women have drawn social security benefit in each of the last five years for which figures are available (a) nationally, (b) by region and (c) in Bolton.
§ Mr. NewtonI assume the question relates to supplementary benefit. Information is not available in the form requested. The available national and regional information is contained in table 34.05, 34.33, 34.72 and 34.74 of Social Security Statistics 1982 a copy of which is available in the House of Commons Library.
The number of cases in action in November/December each year in the local offices situated in Bolton has been:
Thousands November/December 1977 14.7 November/December 1978 14.5 November/December 1979 14.2 November/December 1980 15.5 November/December 1981 19.1 Source: 100 per cent count of cases in action in Local Offices.
§ Mr. Greville Jannerasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will estimate the number of women and children in the United Kingdom not claiming benefits or allowances due to them under each scheme administered by his Department, the average level of such potential claims and the total of such sums unclaimed during each of the last five years for which records are available.
§ Mr. NewtonI shall let the hon. Member have a reply as soon as possible.