§ Mr. AllenTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what sums have been paid for each of the years since 1986 from general taxation into the national insurance fund; and for what reasons in each case.
§ Mr. ScottPayments by way of the Treasury supplement, which was abolished from 1989, are in the table. These payments were historically a general contribution by the taxpayer to the finances of the national insurance fund and were not designated to any particular aspect of fund expenditure.
The Social Security Act 1990 provided for the national insurance fund to be reimbursed from the Consolidated Fund for the costs of statutory sick pay and statutory maternity pay, these benefits being non-contributory. The relevant amounts paid into the national insurance fund from the Consolidated Fund for the 1990–91 tax year up to date are £848.6 million in respect of statutory sick pay and £313.9 million in respect of statutory maternity pay, making a total of £1,162.5 million.
Treasury supplement to the national insurance fund £ million 1986–87 2,412 1987–88 2,135 1988–89 1,653 1989–90 1nil 1Abolished.