§ Mr. Meacherasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the number and rate per 1,000 claimants of people who received single payments (a) nationally, (b) in each social security region, and (c) in each standard economic planning region for each year 1979 and to the latest available date in 1985 with the average payment and what proportion were (i) pensioners, (ii) families with children.
§ Mr. Major[pursuant to his rely, 19 December 1985, c. 321–22]: It is not possible to provide the precise information requested since data are available only for social security regions and nationally. The following table sets out the available information for the calendar years 1979–1985. Normally the data collected are not analysed by reference to families with children, but a special analysis of the data in the 1983 annual statistical inquiry showed that of families with children one-third had received a single payment in the previous 12 months.
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Region Number of awards (nearest '000s) Rate of awards per 1,000 claimants Average payment (to nearest £ Proportion of awards to persons over pensions age Column 1 Column 2 Column 3 Column 4 Column 5 1979 Northern 108 498 24 17 Yorkshire/Humberside 105 350 29 21 East Midlands/East Anglia 78 296 34 22 London North 86 307 36 33 London South 87 284 35 26 London West 71 311 41 27 South-West 72 324 32 24 Wales 78 409 30 24 West Midlands 102 355 32 27 North-West Manchester 56 254 27 23 Merseyside 81 346 29 20 Scotland 194 636 47 23 National 1,119 366 34 24 1980 Northern 106 465 32 15 Yorkshire/Humberside 112 351 34 17 East Midlands/East Anglia 76 273 41 19 London North 81 275 44 28 London South 82 259 43 24 London West 66 278 50 24 South-West 62 279 39 23 Wales 76 381 36 22 West Midlands 91 291 40 25 North-West Manchester 53 227 35 18 Merseyside 81 329 34 17 Scotland 244 756 62 23 National 1,129 352 44 21 1981 Northern 75 301 44 12 Yorkshire/Humberside 91 253 44 13 East Midlands/East Anglia 72 231 50 12 London North 58 172 62 20 London South 61 173 61 17 London West 45 165 65 17 South-West 42 169 52 19 Wales 68 317 46 15 West Midlands 77 206 51 16 North-West Manchester 63 237 46 12 Merseyside 71 264 46 13 Scotland 113 314 80 17 National 834 231 54 15 1982 (see note 3) National 1,596 385 55 19 1983 North-Eastern 376 525 66 8 Midlands 293 400 69 9 London North 187 285 87 12 London South 166 293 75 11 Wales/South-West 217 402 66 11 North West 310 465 66 8 Scotland 324 730 101 12 National 1,873 433 76 10 1984 North-Eastern 574 758 70 8 Midlands 452 573 59 8 London North 268 377 86 10 London South 206 327 87 10 Wales/South-West 302 526 71 10 North West 501 715 68 8 Scotland 545 1,127 89 12 National 2,849 613 76 9
Region Number of awards (nearest '000s) Rate of awards per 1,000 claimants Average payment (to nearest £ Proportion of awards to persons over pension age Column 1 Column 2 Column 3 Column 4 Column 5 1985 North-Eastern 862 n/a 70 9.8 Midlands 656 n/a 69 10.5 London North 390 n/a 82 13.4 London South 303 n/a 82 13.4 Wales/South-West 451 n/a 67 12.3 North West 691 n/a 71 8.6 Scotland 767 n/a 88 13 National 4,119 n/a 75 11.2 Notes:
1. The figures in columns (2), (4) and (5) are calculated from information collected by the Management Information System (MIS) which is a 100 per cent. of all single payment awards.
Column 2—the basis on which the figures are recorded was altered in April 1984. Previously a payment covering items under different regulations was counted as one award. Now an award is counted in respect of each regulation used.
Column 5—the MIS returns give separate figures for those over pension age but do not give a breakdown for families with children.
2. Column (3) is calculated by dividing the figures in column (2) by the number of claimants recorded in the August Quarterly Enquiry for each year. Figures for 1985 August Quarterly Enquiry are not yet available.
3. The 1982 regional breakdown is not given; during that year the regions were re-organised and reduced from 12 to 7, and comparable figures on a regional basis could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.