§ Mr. Ralph Howellasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will state the total cost of mortgage interest payments to supplementary benefit recipients for each of the years 1979 to 1986; and if he will show the total number of claimants for each year.
§ Mr. MajorInformation is not available in the precise form requested. Mortgage interest payments have been collected as a separate item only since 1983. Cost estimates for previous years are based on owner-occupiers' residual housing costs (that is after the deduction of rates, water rates, and repairs-insurance) and include an element for ground rent. The information available is as follows:
713W
(£ million) Year Claimants Total Cost 1979 98,000 31 1980 134,000 71 1981 196,000 124 1982 235,000 170 1983 242,000 1150 1984 277,000 1219 21985 21986 1Mortgage interest only. 2Information not yet available.