HC Deb 03 June 1991 vol 192 cc113-4W
Mr. McMaster

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he last met representatives of the Disablement Income Group; what matters were discussed; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Scott

We regularly meet representatives of disability organisations to discuss a wide range of disability issues. In particular, on 21 February my right hon. Friends the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State for Social Security and I met the Disability Benefits Consortium which is an umbrella group representing over 250 disability organisations including the Disablement Income Group.

£ million
1988–89 outturn 1989–90 outturn 1990–91 provisional outturn
Crisis loans (gross) 17 22 28
Budgeting loans (gross) 108 119 128
Crisis loans (net) 9 8 9
Budgeting loans (net) 68 25 22
Community care grants 41 60 67
Regulated payments (gross) 32 39 57
Regulated payments (net) 32 38 56
Total gross expenditure 199 240 281
Total gross expenditure in 1988–89 prices1 199 226 245
1 Deflated using the estimated GDP deflator.

Mr Vaz

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many applications for help through the social fund have been made since its introduction(a) in England and Wales and (b) in Leicestershire; and how many of those applications were turned down.

Mr. Scott

The information requested is available in the Library.

Mr. Vaz

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) how many families have benefited from the social fund in Leicestershire since its introduction;

current at the time of the autumn statement. Since then both the community charge reduction scheme and the £140 general reduction have been announced, and expenditure is now expected to be £1,300 million in 1991–92. A territorial breakdown of this figure is not yet available. Revised expenditure projections for 1992–93 and 1993–94 have not yet been finalised.

Information about spending in Northern Ireland is the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.

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