§ Mr. Clayasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will estimate the gross and net cost of increasing the single person's rate of maternity allowance by £7.35.
§ Mr. MajorThe cost of increasing the basic rate of maternity allowance by £7.35 per week would be about £47 million in a full year, with a saving of about £2 million on supplementary benefit expenditure. If the increase was confined to single women only, the cost would be about £6 million.