§ 19. Mr. Ron Daviesasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many claims for supplementary benefit have been made in the past 12 months.
§ Mr. LyellThe latest available figures are for the year ending April 1986. In that period there were nearly 6 million claims for supplementary pensions or allowances.
§ 21. Mr. Evansasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many people were claiming supplementary benefit in the north-west of England at the latest available date; and how this compares with the figure for October 1979.
§ Mr. LyellA total of 781,573 people were receiving supplementary benefit in the Department's north-west region on 13 August this year (the latest figure available). The present region did not exist in 1979 but the comparable figure for August 1979 was 494,277.
§ 31. Mr. Nellistasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many people are now in receipt of supplementary benefit in Coventry.
§ Mr. LyellCoventry is covered for social security purposes by the Department's offices at Coventry (east) and Coventry (west). The total number of people receiving supplemenatry benefit from those two offices on 13 August 1986—the latest available figures—was 41,603.
Source: 100 per cent. count of cases in action.
§ 40. Mr. Foulkesasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what are the latest figures for the average length of time taken to deal with claims for supplementary benefit.
§ Mr. LyellDuring the four weeks ending on 26 August this year, the average time taken to deal with a fresh claim for supplementary benefit was seven working days.