§ Mr. Frank Fieldasked the Secretary of State for Social Services, pursuant to the answer given to the hon. Member for Birkenhead on 14 June, Official Report, column 567, if he will detail for each of the categories of benefits listed the size of the shortfall in keeping each benefit in line with price rises since May 1979; and if he will estimate the savings in revenue which have resulted in not maintaining the real value of all benefits since 1979.
§ Dr. Boyson[pursuant to his reply, 22 June 1984, c. 313]: The information is as follows: 141W
(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) Benefit November 1978 rate November 1983 rate Rate at November 1983 if benefits had maintained value against RPI since November 1978 Full year cost of making good difference between cols. (3) and (4) £pw £pw £pw £ million† Supplementary benefit Dietary additions higher rate 2.25 3.35 *3.42 0.5 haemodialysis 6.40 9.60 *9.73 Blindness addition 1.25 1.25 2.11 1.8 * Calculated by reference to the food element of the retail prices index between November 1978 and November 1983. † In aggregate these sums represent about half of one per cent. of the total social security budget.