§ Mr. MeacherTo ask the Secretary of Slate for Northern Ireland if he will estimate the cost of benefit expenditure on the unemployed and the administration costs of unemployment benefit arid redundancy payments in 1991–92.
Mr. HankyThe information requested is as follows.
Estimated Benefit Expenditure on Unemployed People—1991–1992 Type Expenditure £ million Unemployment Benefit 39.4 Income Support 189.0 Redundancy Payments 2.0 Total 230.4 Estimated Administration Costs—1991–1992 Benefits 12.7 Redundancy Payments 0.2
§ Mr. MeacherTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) how many offices, providing public access for the purpose of claiming benefit, including unemployment benefit, were in operation on 1 April 1979, and at the latest available date;
(2) how many home visits, excluding specialist visits, including those for the purpose of investigating suspected fraud were made per 1,000 claimants in the latest available year; and how many were made in 1978–79.
§ Mr. HanleySocial security operational matters are the responsibility of Mr. Alec Wylie, chief executive of the Social Security Agency. He will write to the hon. Member and copies of his reply will be placed in the Library and the Public Information Office.