§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will publish a table showing the real rise in social security spending between 1978–79 and 1989–90 broken down into the different factors that have contributed to the rise.
§ Mr. ScottTotal social security spending increased in real terms between 1978–79 and 1989–90 by nearly £14,000 million, or around 35 per cent. There have been many reasons for this growth. While it is not possible to evaluate the exact effect of every factor, the Government's increased provisions for the elderly and for disabled people, and improved benefit schemes such as family credit, have been significant. So, too, have economic changes such as the increase in unemployment in the first half of the decade, and the rise in rents, and demographic changes such as the growth in numbers of lone parents and the steady reduction in the number of widows. The table shows, in real terms, spending on benefits for the various client groups, in 1978–79 and 1989–90.
Real terms benefit spending in 1978–79 and 1989–90 by client group £ million at 1989–90 prices Client group 1978–79 1989–90 Elderly people 20,460 25,550 Sick and disabled people 5,850 9,520 Family (including lone parents) 5,875 9,200 Unemployed people 3,210 4,740 Widows and orphans 1,615 1,240 Total 37,010 50,250