§ Mr. Ralph Howellasked the Prime Minister if she will identify separately all the categories of state benefits and pensions currently being paid and the number of recipients of each for the years 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982 and 1983 and (a) give the annual total paid out for each category for the same years, (b) state the percentage of gross domestic product and total public expenditure represented separately and in total by each category in the same years and (c) indicate the Departments involved in the distribution of these benefits and pensions.
§ The Prime MinisterThe information on expenditure and numbers of beneficiaries is given in the annual volume380W of "Social Security Statistics", "National Income and Expenditure", and "Northern Ireland Annual Abstract of Statistics" published by HMSO. Copies are available in the Library. The main departments involved in the payment of social security benefits are the Department of Health and Social Security, the Department of Health and Social Services (Northern Ireland) and the Department of Employment. Certain services are provided by the Paymaster General's office.