§ Mr. PikeTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Services how much was paid out from the Burnley supplementary benefit office in single payments in each of the last five years; and what is the proposed budget for the year commencing April 1988 for social fund expenditure.
§ Mr. ScottI am arranging for the information available on annual single payment expenditure by individual local offices to be placed in the Library. Information on the allocation of social fund grants and loans budgets for 1988–89 was contained in my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Wells (Mr. Heathcoat-Amory) on 4 November at columns774–81.
§ Ms. AbbottTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) pursuant to his answer of 27 October,Official Report, column 252, if he will list in the Official Report the number of non-caller claims for supplementary benefit received in the last four-week period for which records are available and the percentage of non-caller claims awaiting a decision at the end of that four-week period; and if he will supply this information in respect of (a) his Department's offices in the Greater London area, (b) London north region and (c) London south region;
(2)pursuant to his answer of 27 October, Official Report, column 252, if he will give average waiting times for a decision from the date of the claim on supplementary benefit claims for his Department's offices in Barking, Barnet, Canning Town, Cricklewood, Ealing, Edgware, Edmonton, Euston, Finsbury Park, Hackney, Harlesden, Hendon, Highgate, Hoxton, Leytonstone, Neasden, Notting Hill, Paddington, Poplar, Shoreditch, Southall, Stepney, Stoke Newington, Tottenham, Walthamstow, Woodgrange Park, Wood Green, Balham, Brixton, Camberwell, Croydon, Crystal Palace, Dartford, Greenwich Park, Hither Green, Hounslow, Kennington Park, Kensington, Lewisham, Mitcham, Oval and Peckham, and for the London north region and the London south region;
(3)if he will list in the Official Report the number of items of post received each week and the number of items of unlinked post over two days old; if he will supply this information in respect of his Department's offices in (a) Stoke Newington, (b) Hackney and (c) Finsbury Park; 450W and how many other of his Department's offices in London north and London south have a greater backlog of items of unlinked post.
§ Mr. Portillo[holding answer 23 November 1987]: The tables set out the information requested where it is available, for the four-week period up to 20 October 1987. The data are provisional and subject to amendment.
Local offices/ Regions Supplementary benefit Non-caller Claims Average clearance Times (working days) Received Outstanding as a percentage of available Offices in the Greater London Area 7 55,881 29 London North Region 7 56,998 28 London South Region 7 55,465 26
Local offices/Regions Supplementary benefit Average clearance Times (working days) Balham 5 Barking 6 Barnet 9 Brixton 8 Camberwell 17 Canning Town 10 Cricklewood 12 Croydon 12 Crystal Palace 9 Dartford 4 Ealing 11 Edgware 5 Edmonton 12 Euston 10 Finsbury Park 16 Greenwich Park 6 Hackney 5 Harlesden 15 Hendon 9 Highgate 11 Hither Green 3 Hounslow 6 Hoxton 3 Kennington Park 10 Kensington 10 Lewisham 13 Leytonstone 6 Mitcham 10 Neasden 7 Notting Hill 12 Oval 7 Paddington 8 Peckham 9 Poplar 6 Shoreditch 5 Southall 13 Stepney 9 Stoke Newington 12 Tottenham 9 Walthamstow 7 Woodgrange Park 7 Wood Green 6 The number of items of post received each week is not collected. The Regions referred to collect details of unlinked post over two days old and the information requested is as follows.
451W
Local office Unlinked post over two days old Hackney 306 Finsbury Park 1,870 Stoke Newington 1,108 These figures include internal correspondence as well as correspondence from the public. The number of offices in London North and London South regions with a greater backlog are as follows:
- (i) More than Hackney—
- London North—7 local offices
- London South—14 local offices
- (ii) More than Stoke Newington—
- London North—3 local offices
- London South—5 local offices
- (iii) More than Finsbury Park—
- London North—0 local offices
- London South—2 local offices
Offices vary considerably in size and no reasonable comparisons can be made.
Numbers of livebirths, stillbirths, early and late neonatal deaths and postneonatal deaths, legitimate and illegitimate births, and by social class for legitimate births only—England and Wales Livebirths Stillbirths Deaths Social Class1 Early Neonatal Late Neonatal Post-neonatal 1975 Legitimate I 42,000 304 281 57 127 II 99,700 832 731 117 324 III non-manual 57,000 505 417 85 200 III manual 214,200 2,268 1,825 325 949 IV 84,700 1,023 814 164 485 V 27,200 405 341 61 237 Other2 23,800 242 260 47 178 Illegitimate 54,891 716 752 131 415 Total 603,445 6,295 5,421 987 2,915 1976 Legitimate I 40,900 298 227 52 107 II 99,900 795 646 125 280 III non-manual 55,500 499 372 77 171 III manual 204,600 2,009 1,533 284 827 IV 85,000 925 726 142 431 V 25,200 335 301 51 211 Other2 19,400 161 266 46 171 Illegitimate 53,766 687 636 114 384 Total 584,270 5,709 4,707 891 2,582 1977 Legitimate I 41,800 281 209 45 120 II 100,500 696 623 128 305 III non-manual 53,200 432 322 83 172 III manual 193,500 1,940 1,398 305 712 IV 81,400 872 672 156 408 V 25,200 313 249 42 202 Other2 18,400 172 232 54 160 Illegitimate 55,379 599 607 106 401 Total 513,900 5,405 4,312 919 2,480 1978 Legitimate I 45,400 287 256 53 135 II 105,100 717 584 154 326 III non-manual 54,600 411 354 77 177 III manual 202,100 1,737 1,350 294 855 IV 86,100 801 649 151 374 V 25,400 310 213 44 181 Other2 17,100 146 205 40 152