Social Protection (Expenditure) (Hansard, 19 March 1985)

§ Mr. Hordern

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish tables in the Official Report, with such information as he has, for West Germany and

Social Protection Expenditure, by Function, 1982 (In Billions of National Monetary Units)
	West Germany (DM billion)	France (Fr. billion)	United Kingdom (£ billion)
Function	Benefits in cash	Benefits in kind	Total	Benefits in cash	Benefits in kind	Total	Benefits in cash	Benefits in kind	Total
1. Sickness	28.17	94.90	123.07	23.69	215.32	239.00	2.91	10.47	13.38
2. Invalidity disablement, occupational accidents and diseases	36.53	14.39	50.94	64.71	18.00	82.71	3.66	2.48	6.14
3. Old age and survivors	178.05	19.37	197.42	382.75	9.70	392.45	26.01	1.11	27.12
4. Family and maternity	29.97	4.99	34.97	91.31	21.54	112.87	5.33	2.46	7.79
5. Unemployment and promotion of employment	23.84	16.64	40.49	90.87	—	90.87	7.43	0.30	7.73
6. Housing	0.15	3.81	3.96	—	25.36	25.36	1.02	—	1.02
7. Miscellaneous	1.11	1.94	3.05	2.29	0.21	2.50	0.22	0.48	0.70
Total	297.84	156.06	453.90	655.62	290.14	962.80	46.58	17.30	63.88

The following points should be noted:

(i) The data are exactly as given in the Eurostat Social Protection Statistical Bulletin, No. 1, 1984, Apart from minor inconsistencies, attributable to roundings, in the totals for West Germany and France, there appears to be a major inconsistency in the French data: total benefits in cash plus total benefits in kind do not sum to the total expenditure figure shown. This inconsistency should be corrected in the next issue of the statistical bulletin, which is due to be published later this month.

(ii) The data are shown in billions of national monetary units for 1982, and are provisional. To convert the West German and French figures into sterling equivalents, use may be made of purchasing power parity exchange rates. The relevant rates for 1982 were: DM 1 = £0.225 and Fr. 1 = £0.088.

(iii) The figures have been harmonised in accordance with the European System of Integrated Social Protection Statistics (ESSPROS).

(iv) It should be noted that data for social protection expenditure do not include fiscal benefits or capital transactions.

(v) The figures cover both Government and non-Government—for example, occupational pensions—programmes, but information is not available for West Germany or France on the division of social protection expenditure between the two, as shown for the United Kingdom in "Economic Trends", December 1984, page 91.

446W

France, as well as for the United Kingdom on expenditure on social protection in similar form to that used in Economic Trends, December 1984, page 91.