§ Mr. Gordon Brownasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will estimate the full year cost to the housing benefit scheme if (a) November 1983 and (b) April 1984 tapers and minima were to apply from November 1984; and how many people would be affected in each case.
§ Mr. Whitney[pursuant to the reply, 19 November 1984, column 64]: Broad estimates on the latest information available, indicate that the full year cost to the housing benefit scheme if the November 1983 tapers and minima were to apply from November 1984 would be about £120 million. Similarly the estimated full year cost if the April 1984 tapers and minima were to apply from November 1984 would be about £43 million. The number of households affected would be about 2.2 million and 1.9 million respectively.