Rent and Rate Rebates

HC Deb 13 March 1987 vol 112 cc325-6W

Mr. Ralph Howell

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will state the total cost of (a) rent rebates, (b) rent allowances and (c) rate rebates in Great Britain for each year from 1979 up to the present date.

Mr. Lyell

The information is given in the following table:

Housing benefit expenditure Great Britain
£ million
	Rent rebates	Rent allowances	Rate rebates
1979–80	230	40	210
1980–81	300	50	290
1981–82	500	70	410
1982–83	930	70	120
1983–84	1,980	540	1,220
1984–85	2,150	690	1,370
1985–86	2,300	830	1,520
1986–871	2,430	1,020	1,640
1 Estimated.

Notes:

1. 1. All figures have been rounded to the nearest £10 million.
2. 2. The figures fo 1982–83 and, subsequently, reflect the fact that 326 housing benefit was partially introduced from November 1982, and fully from April 1983. The apparent large increase in expenditure in these years therefore arose primarily from the reclassification of what was formerly supplementary benefit expenditure.