HC Deb 17 December 1987 vol 124 cc707-8W
Mr. Boswell

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what were in constant 1979 prices, the total amounts of single payments made by his Department in each of the years between 1979 and 1986 inclusive.

Mr. Scott

The expenditure on single payments for the years 1979–80 to 1986–87 is as follows:

United Kingdom cost at 1979 prices1
Year (ending April) £ million
1979–80 40
1980–81 40
1981–82 44
1982–83 70
1983–84 114
1984–85 158
1985–86 207
1986–87 198
1 Based on the Gross Domestic Product Deflator.

Mr. Gordon Brown

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what single payments were made at(a) Cowdenbeath, (b) Dunfermline and (c) Kirkcaldy offices of his Department in 1986–87; and to what value.

Mr. Portillo

Information concerning the amount spent on single payments made at each of the Department's local offices has been placed in the Library. Information concerning the number of single payments made at(a) Cowdenbeath, (b) Dunfermline and (c) Kirkcaldy is given in the table:

Number of single payments for the period April 1986 to April 1987
Office Number
(a) Cowdenbeath 6,179
(b) Dunfermline 6,982
(c) Kirkcaldy 12,118

Note: The figures are provisional and subject to amendment.