§ Mr. WilsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list the totals disbursed on essential payments for single items by his Department(a) in Scotland and (b) in the United Kingdom in each year since 1978, at constant prices.
§ Mr. ScottI regret that the information requested is not available for 1978. The expenditure on single payments of supplementary benefit for succeeding years is as follows:526W
Year (ending April) Scotland United Kingdom Total cost (£ million) Cost at 1987 prices1 (£ million) Total cost (£ million) Cost at 1987 prices1 (£ million) 1979–80 10 16 40 64 1980–81 14 19 48 67 1981–82 12 15 57 72 1982–83 23 27 98 115 1983–84 37 42 166 186 1984–85 54 58 241 259 1985–86 71 73 335 344 1986–87 71 71 330 330 Source: Management Information System (100 per cent. count) provisional only for 1986–87.
1 Based on the increase in the retail prices index (less housing) financial year average 1986–87.