§ Dr. Godmanasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many people claimed supplementary benefit in Greenock and Port Glasgow in each of the years 1979 to 1985; and what percentage this represents.
§ Mr. Meacherasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many, nationally and for each social security region, of (a) 16-year-olds and (b) 17-year-olds are in receipt of supplementary benefit for the latest available year and (i) how many live in their parents' household and (ii) live independently; and how many of them have (1) claimant parents and (2) non-claimant parents.
§ Mr. Newton[pursuant to his reply, 20 December 1985, c. 434]: Estimates of the number of 16 and 17-year-old claimants in each social security region at December 1983 are as follows:
(thousands) Region 16-year-olds 17-year-olds North Eastern 9 21 London North 10 14 London South 6 13 Wales and South West 7 14 Midlands 9 20 North Western 7 19 Scotland 7 18 Source: Annual Statistical Enquiry.
Information is not available about the number in each region who were householders; but, as I indicated in my earlier reply, nationally it is estimated that at the same date 1,000 16-year-olds and 7,000 17-year-olds receiving supplementary benefit were householders.