HC Deb 10 June 1991 vol 192 cc385-6W
Ms. Primarolo

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether the Government will be allocating funds over and above those already earmarked for the urban development corporations or promised in grant aid to fund the full cost of completion of projects left unfinished on the termination of the urban development corporations' fixed lifetime.

Mr. Key

I expect satisfactory arrangements to be made to deal with projects which are under way when a corporation is wound up. These arrangements will be determined by the circumstances of the particular case.

Mr. Key

Information on households at district level is contained in table 39 of the county report to the 1981 census, copies of which are in the Library. Similar analyses from the 1991 census will become available during 1992. Current estimates of the number of households for England and the English regions were given in the reply to the hon. Member's earlier question on 20 May 1991 at columns327–28.

Estimates of the number of households in receipt of housing benefit are:

Estimated number of households claiming housing benefit
Standard region Thousands
Northern 295.1
Yorkshire and Humberside 381.5
East Anglia 239.9
East Midlands 110.8
Greater London 533.6
South-East (ex. London) 499.3
South-West 252.2
West Midlands 366.3
North-West 508.2
England Total 3,186.9

The information relates to November 1990 and is based on quarterly caseloads. A table containing this information for districts, where available, has been placed in the Library.

It is not possible to provide the information requested on the numbers who will be paying a reduced community charge at either regional or district level. For estimates at a national level I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 17 April 1991 to the hon. Member for Birkenhead (Mr. Field) at columns 184–85.

National assistance was replaced by supplementary benefit in 1966 which was itself replaced by income support in 1988. Information on income support is only available for the former social security regions. Quarterly details as at February 1991 are as follows:

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