§ Mr. Ralph Howellasked the Secretary of State for Social Services why in his answer to the hon. Member for 494W Norfolk, North on 2 February, Official Report, column 545, he was unable to give the number of supplementary benefits recipients beyond December 1984; and when he expects figures for 1985 and 1986 to become available.
§ Mr. LyellThe information given in my previous reply was based on the supplementary benefit annual statistical inquiries for the years 1979 to 1984. There are no directly comparable figures for 1985, as the sample survey on which the inquiry is based was deferred from December 1985 to February 1986. Results from the February 1986 inquiry are not yet available.
Although not directly comparable, it is however, possible to provide information on recipients at December 1985 from a separate source—the quarterly statistical inquiry. This information is as follows:
Number of supplementary benefit recipients (thousands) Numbers December 1985 4,590 Note: This information is derived from the Quarterly Statistical Inquiry of supplementary benefit and is not perfectly compatible with that derived from the Annual Statistical Inquiries held in December in previous years.
§ Mr. Ralph Howellasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what would be the saving if no social security, housing, or welfare benefits other than child benefit were paid to any single person whose income was more than £65 per week and to couples married or otherwise whose income was more than £130 per week.
§ Mr. Tony Banksasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the average weekly payment awarded in respect of new claims for supplementary benefit, in the most recent year for which figures are available, in Great Britain broken down by region and for his Department's offices in (a) Newham, (b) Brighton, (c) Slough and (d) Watford.
§ Mr. LyellInformation is not available in the precise form requested. The table shows the average weekly amounts of supplementary benefit paid to all supplementary benefit recipients in Great Britain, by region, on 12 February 1986, the latest information available. 'This information cannot be given in respect of smaller areas.
£ London North 27.97 London South 29.71 Midland 28.29 North Eastern 26.62 North Western 27.65 Scotland 26.79 Wales and South Western 28.85 Source: Supplementary Benefit Quarterly Statistical Inquiry February 1986.