§ Mr. Irvingasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will estimate how many families with incomes of (a) less than £10,000 and (b) more khan £10,000 are currently in receipt of child benefit; and what is the total cost in each case.
§ Mr. NewtonIn 1983, the latest year for which figures are available, it is estimated that 3.2 million families with total gross incomes (including child benefit) of £10,000 a year or more were receiving a total of £1.8 billion in child benefit a year and that 3.8 million families with lower incomes were receiving a total of £2.2 billion in child benefit a year.