§ Mr. Frank Fieldasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how much money has been spent, in cost terms, by his Department in each of the last five years on promoting the take-up of benefits.
§ Mr. WhitneyIt would not be possible without undue expense to calculate the total amounts spent by this Department on all measures designed to promote the take-up of benefits for each of the past five financial years. However, in cost terms (at 1983–84 prices) the amounts 169W spent on promotional press and television advertising, and on the printing of all social security benefit leaflets and posters are estimated to be approximately as follows:
£ 1979–80 *1,350,000 1980–81 *1,090,000 1981–82 *1,250,000 1982–83 †2,520,000 1983–84 1,620,000 * Excluding Department of Environment expenditure on rent and rate rebates before the introduction of housing benefit. † Extra expenditure was incurred in this financial year on advertising the new housing benefit and statutory sick pay schemes.