§ Mr. Pikeasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many people are in receipt of (a) supplementary benefit and (b) unemployment benefit in the Burnley constituency; and what have been the comparative figures on an annual basis since 1979.
§ Mr. MajorThe information is not available in the precise form requested. The Burnley constituency is covered by the Department's local office at Burnley for supplementary benefit purposes and by two unemployment benefit offices in Burnley and in Nelson for unemployment benefit purposes. The boundaries of these offices are not conterminous with those of the Burnley constituency.
The following figures show the total number of people claiming supplementary benefit from the Department's Burnley office at 11 February 1986, the latest available, and at comparable dates since 1979.
Number 1979 10,483 1980 9,972 1981 11,586 1982 13,478 1983 15,561 1984 16,020 1985 16,504 1986 16,463 Source 100 per cent. count of live cases in action.
Figures of people receiving unemployment benefit from the unemployment benefit offices in November 1985, the latest available, and at comparable dates since 1979 are as follows:
376W
Number November 1979 1,165 November 1980 2,951
Number February 1982* 4,542 November 1982 3,526 November 1983 2,896 November 1984† — November 1985 2,344 * Figures for November 1981 are not available due to industrial action. These figures relate to February 1982. † Figures for November 1984 are not available due to Industrial action. Note: People simultaneously in receipt of supplementary benefit and unemployment benefit are included in both sets of figures.