§ Mr. Frank Cookasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what savings, in a full year, he estimates will arise as a result of the proposed changes to each of the supplementary benefit single payments, regulations Nos. 3, 7, 9, 10, 12, 13, 17, 19, 27, 28 and 30; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. NewtonOn the basis of expenditure in the 1985–86 financial year, it is estimated that the broad effect of all the changes will be to reduce the level of expenditure on single payments by about £100 million in a full year. Information on expenditure on individual regulations is available only from the annual statistical inquiry, but this under-records the total number of payments made, and does not distinguish payments made on moving to a new home from payments made for replacement items to those who are not moving. For these reasons, and because the changes to some regulations are interrelated, it is not possible to provide details of savings for individual regulations.
§ Mr. Frank Cookasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many single payments, and the amount thereof, were made in the last year for which figures are available under each of the supplementary benefit, single payments, regulations Nos. 7, 9, and 10, 12, 13, 17, 19, 27, 28 and 30 both nationally and for each of the Department of Health and Social Security ILOs of Middlesbrough, Stockton, Hartlepool, Redcar and Eston.
§ Mr. NewtonThe latest available information on single payments made in Great Britain, identifying the regulation under which the payment was made, is shown in table 1. Local office statistics do not record the individual regulation number under which each single payment has been made, other than those made under regulation 30. Table 2 shows the latest available information on single payments under regulation 30, both nationally and for the local offices requested.
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Table 1: Single payments made in Great Britain (by regulation) Regulation No. No. of payments (thousands) Amount paid (£ million) 7 142 10.2 9 and 10 1,075 90.3 12 467 29.2 13 46 3.2 17 12 1.5 19 131 4.8 27 204 11.6 28 4 0.2 Source: 1984 annual statistical inquiry (provisional).
Note: Information relates to single payments made in the 12 months preceding the ASE to those in receipt of benefit at the time of the inquiry. As a result it does not record all the single payments made during the year.
Table 2: Single payments under regulation 30 in 1985–85 Number of payments Amount paid £ Nationally 21,440 1,171,804 Middlesbrough ILO 246 18,938 Stockton ILO 48 4,109 Hartlepool ILO 43 2,835 Redcar ILO 65 2,686 Eston ILO 9 2,177 Source: Management Returns (100 per cent. count) for 12 months to 8 April 1986. (Provisional).
§ Mr. Terry Davisasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he intends to make any changes in the supplementary benefit single payments regulations with effect from 28 July.
§ Mr. Newton[pursuant to his reply, 14 July 1986, c. 417]: I refer the hon. Member to my statement in the House today.