HC Deb 21 July 1988 vol 137 cc828-9W
Mr. Blair

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the cost of supplementary benefit single payments for each of his Department's local offices in the counties of Cleveland, Cumbria, Durham, Northumbria, and Tyne and Wear, in May 1985, May 1986 and May 1987.

Mr. Portillo

Figures for the month of May are not readily available and would be disproportionately costly to obtain. However, the value of single payments made in the four-week periods ending 4 June 1985, 3 June 1986 and 2 June 1987 are given in the table. The local offices shown are those situated within the counties requested but office and county boundaries are not conterminous.

Period Ending
County 4 June 1985 3 June 1986 2 June 1987
£ £ £
Berwick 2,200 4,718 2,810
Blyth 32,976 35,967 22,741
Hexham 7,040 10,560 3,263
Tyne and Wear
Gateshead 110,828 145,414 66,758
Houghton-le-Spring 33,610 37,526 20,019
Jarrow 46,351 77,743 38,183
Newcastle St. James 103,505 148,687 53,843
Newcastle East 87,871 101,016 28,430
Newcastle West 84,763 120,648 47,492
North Shields 47,652 107,472 35,260
South Shields 79,397 140,261 47,281
Sunderland North 154,056 203,636 77,500
Sunderland South 89,479 183,856 57,757
Wallsend 68,725 71,706 28,381
Cumbria
Carlisle 25,648 37,028 23,046
Kendal 2,665 5,859 3,493
Workington 25,667 27,782 11,022
Whitehaven 33,361 35,230 14,934
Penrith 26,553 39,438 14,617
Barrow 5,846 4,723 4,679

Mr. Nellist

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services when he expects to be able to give a substantive reply to the question from the hon. Member for Coventry, South-East, on single payment claims, for which a holding answer was given on Tuesday 21 June.

Mr. Portillo

I replied to the hon. Member today.

Mr. Nellist

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Coventry, South-East of 16 June, when he will be in a position to give the national outstanding total of single payment claims as at 31 May.

Mr. Portillo

[pursuant to his reply, 21 June 1988, c. 549]: The number of cases awaiting action on single payment claims at 31 May 1988 was 210,014. This figure is provisional and subject to amendment.