HC Deb 09 December 1988 vol 143 cc381-2W
Mr. Battle

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many(a) fathers and (b) mothers claim child benefit.

Mr. Peter Lloyd

Information available relates to men and women rather than fathers and mothers—child benefit is sometimes claimed by someone other than the parent, for example a grandparent. In Great Britain at 31 December 1987, about 135,000 child benefit claimants were men and about 6,545,000 claimants were women.

Sir Ian Gilmour

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the rate of child benefit in 1979; and by what percentage the rate has increased between April 1979 and April 1988.

Mr. Peter Lloyd

The April 1979 rate of child benefit was £4.00; the increase in the rate between that date and April 1988 was 81.3 per cent.