§ Ms. PrimaroloTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will provide the number of patients per whole-time equivalent general practitioner in each year since 1989.
§ Dr. MawhinneyFigures for the number of patients per whole-time equivalent general practioner were not collected prior to 1990. The table gives the information for England as at 1 October in 1990 and 1991:
Year Average number of patients per whole time equivalent GP 1990 1979 1991 1996
Help with mortgage interest in supplementary benefit/income support 1986–1991 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1. Number of owner occupiers receiving help (000)s 356 334 330 281 310 411 2. Totals included in benefit (£ million) 351 335 286 353 554 949 3. Weekly average (£) 18.96 19.31 18.56 24.46 34.42 46.34 4. Weekly average (£) for half interest — — 16.71 21.86 33.69 35.61 Notes: From January 1987, claimants aged under 60 receive half mortgage interest for the first 16 weeks of their claim. No figures are available for 1985.
Source: — Supplementary Benefit and Income Support Annual Statistical Enquiries. (Copies are held in the Library.)
§ Mr. Austin MitchellTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what proposals he has to provide help to beneficiaries to keep up insurance payments on endowment mortgages when unemployed.
§ Mr. BurtWe have no such proposals. The Council of Mortgage Lenders has assured us that people whose full mortgage interest payments are covered by income support will not face repossession. It is not the purpose of income support to help with the acquisition of a capital asset.