§ Mr. McLeishTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list for each of the past four years the total cost and number of unemployed claiming(a) unemployment benefit, (b) unemployment benefit and income support and (c) income support for Great Britain and each of the standard regions.
§ Mr. JackThe information is not available in the form requested. The numbers of unemployed receiving benefits in November of each year are set out in tables 1(a) to 1(d). Total benefit expenditure for Great Britain on income support, unemployment benefit, rate rebates and community charge benefits paid to unemployed people is shown in table 2.
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Unemployment benefit Benefit Unemployment benefit and supplementary benefit/income support Supplementary benefit/income support only Table 1(d) 1990 Great Britain 282,726 60,225 969,315 London and South East 71,674 16,017 232,998 South West 20,491 4,453 56,875 West Midlands 25,420 5,953 97,022 East Midlands 28,096 6,336 77,672 Yorkshire and Humberside 29,725 6,441 99,043 North West 38,514 7,728 157,971 Northern 19,273 4,069 70,649 Wales 15,348 3,694 53,243 Scotland 34,185 5,534 123,842 Note: Standard region changed in 1988 and 1990.
Table 2 Expenditure on unemployed people 1986–87 to 1989–90 £ million 1986–87 7,310 1987–88 6,650 1988–89 5,240 1989–90 4,280