HC Deb 18 December 1987 vol 124 cc887-8W
Mr. Cousins

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the total number of claimants in receipt of housing benefit supplement in each local authority in Britain; and of these how many receive a housing benefit supplement each week of(a) under £2, (b) £2 up to £5, (c) £5 up to £10 and (d) over £10.

Mr. Portillo

Information on the level of housing benefit supplement paid by benefit band width is not available. Information obtained from the housing benefit subsidy claims submitted by local authorities for the 1985–86 year and indicating the total number of housing benefit supplement claims made in each authority during that year has been placed in the Library.

Region and Health District Health Scheme Works cost £ Start date Actual or Estimated completion date Number of beds Number of operating theatres
Northern RHA
Northumberland Blyth community hospital and health centre 4,211,371 10 December 1984 3 June 1987 A 78
Fenham blood transfusion service centre 3,537,500 31 May 1983 30 June 1985 A
Newcastle Freeman hospital 2,865,079 4 March 1985 31 August 1987 A
South Cumbria Furness general scheme 1 phase 2 1,496,159 8 December 1980 24 May 1983 A
South Cumbria Furness general scheme 2 phase 1 6,080,209 6 April 1986 5 September 1988 E
Hartlepool Hartlepool DGH scheme 2 phase 1 44,886,628 26 January 1981 24 May 1984 A 90
Hartlepool Hartlepool DGH scheme 3 phase 1 2,391,391 14 January 1985 14 April 1987 A 104
Hartlepool Hartlepool DGH scheme 3 phase 4 1,900,440 14 November 1983 31 January 1985 A
South Tyneside Jarrow community hospital 3,314,250 21 November 1983 14 August 1986 A 82
South Tees Middlesbrough general hospital 1,565,825 9 September 1985 10 April 1987 A 120
North Tyneside North Tyneside scheme 1 phase 1 10,364,538 14 April 1980 13 December 1983 A 334 6
North Tyneside North Tyneside scheme 2 phase 1 4,137,500 8 January 1985 5 August 1987 A 84
Gateshead Queen Elizabeth Gateshead scheme 3 phase 1 6,139,179 0 September 1981 26 April 1985 A 200 6
Gateshead Queen Elizabeth Gateshead scheme 3 phase 2 1,762,698 10 January 1983 9 October 1984 A
South Tees South Cleveland general scheme 2 phase 1B 6,143,060 28 May 1985 30 January 1988 E 150
South Tees South Cleveland general scheme 2 phase 1C 1,034,004 9 December 1985 3 March 1987 A
South Tyneside South Shields general scheme 3 phase 1 12,011,032 24 January 1987 25 January 1990 E 342 5
Northumberland St. Georges hospital boilerhouse 1,213,183 29 June 1987 29 December 1988 E
South Cumbria Westmoreland DGH scheme 1 phase 1 15,410,127 7 September 1987 7 September 1990 E 340 2
Yorkshire RHA
Bradford Bradford royal infirmary wards/theatres (nucleus) 2,311,000 10 September 1984 12 September 1986 A 56 4

Mr. Cousins

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what steps are proposed to be taken to advise claimants of housing benefit in receipt of housing benefit supplement of its abolition next April; and what guidance is being given to local authorities paying housing benefit supplement to claimants as to how they should advise such claimants.

Mr. Portillo

The general publicity on the social security reforms has made it quite clear that housing benefit supplement will cease from April 1988. We are, however, still considering whether any additional information will be required for all claimants, including recipients of housing benefit supplement, during the transitional period.