HC Deb 26 February 1986 vol 92 cc607-8W
Ms. Harman

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will place in the Library figures showing how many people were in receipt of supplementary benefit in each of the years 1979 to 1985; and what percentage change in these figures occurred between 1979 and 1985, in each of the places listed in the letter to him from the hon. Member for Peckham of 29 January.

Mr. Gordon Brown

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the first-year and full-year cost of extending the long-term rate of supplementary benefit to the long-term unemployed in 1985–86 and 1986–87 (a) net of the cost of indexation and (b) net of the cost of indexation and savings in other benefits as a direct result of this measure.

Mr. Newton

I shall let the hon. Members have replies as soon as possible.

Dr. Godman

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services, pursuant to the answer of 3 February, concerning supplementary benefit claims in Greenock and Port Glasgow, if he will state how much was paid by each office in each year since 1979–80.

Mr. Major

I regret that no information is available about the amount of supplementary benefit paid out each year by individual local offices. Such information could be obtained only by a special exercise which would be disproportionately expensive.

Mr. Sean Hughes

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services, pursuant to his reply of 20 February, Official Report, column 317, why information relating to young supplementary benefit claimants in Knowsley is not available.

Mr. Major

The Department's local offices keep figures of supplementary benefit claimants under three headings only—those over pension age, those who are unemployed and those under pension age who are not unemployed.

There is also an annual statistical inquiry based on a sample of cases in local offices which provides more detailed information, including estimated numbers of claimants in different age bands. However, the sample is not large enough to provide reliable estimates of individual local office figures.