§ Sir Ian GilmourTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will publish figures showing the age distribution of the first children for whom £2 a week extra child benefit will be payable from next October, distinguishing between children aged 0 to 4 years, 5 to 10 years, 11 to 15 years and 16 years or over.
§ Mr. JackThe latest available estimates are based on June 1990 figures. They show that the number of children for whom the higher child benefit rate of £9.25 a week will be payable from October 1991 will be:
Million Aged 0 to 4 years 1.7 Aged 5 to 10 years 2.0 Aged 11 to 15 years 2.2 Aged 16 years or over 0.9 Total 6.8
§ Sir Ian GilmourTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will tabulate figures showing the annual costs of each extra £1 a week child benefit for(a) first children, (b) second children, (c) third children and (d) fourth and subsequent children.
§ Mr. JackWe estimate that the costs in 1991–92 would be(a) £355 million, (b) £205 million, (c) £60 million, and (d) £20 million.
If such increases were offset in national insurance and income-related benefits, the net costs would be (a) £250 million, (b) £150 million, (c) £40 million, and (d) £10 million.
§ Mr. MeacherTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the annual cost(a) gross and (b) after 327W deduction of income support of uprating child benefit from its present level (i) by £1 a week for the first child only, (ii) by a further £1 a week for the first child plus 25 pence a week for the second and subsequent children and (iii) by £2.30 a week for each child; and what would be the comparable figures for uprating child benefit from its proposed October 1991 level by an extra 30 pence a week for the first child and an extra £2.05 a week for second and subsequent children.
§ Mr. Jack[holding answer 28 March 1991]: On the basis of our latest estimates, the gross full year costs in 1991–92 of uprating child benefit from the 1990–91 rate of £7.25 per week would be (i) £355 million, (ii) £425 million, and (iii) £1,475 million.
The equivalent net costs, after the normal adjustments to national insurance and income-related benefits, are (i) £250 million, (ii) £300 million and (iii) £1,045 million.
The full year costs in 1991–92 of increasing child benefit by 30p per week for the eldest eligible child in the family and by £2.05 for each other child are estimated to be £695 million gross and £490 million net.