§ Mr. AllenTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will publish a table showing the number and proportion of people who were(a) claiming and (b) receiving supplementary benefit or income support in 1979 and 1991 in Northern Ireland.
§ Mr. HanleyResponsibility for the subject in question has been delegated to the Social Security Agency under its chief executive, Mr. Alec Wylie, who replied to the hon. Member on 23 December 1992.
Letter from Mr. Wylie, to Mr. Graham Allen, dated 23 December 1992:
As I am responsible for social security operational matters your recent Parliamentary Question on the number and 541W proportion of people who were claiming and receiving Supplementary Benefit or Income Support in 1979 and 1991 has been passed to me for reply.
Year Number of new and repeat claims for supplementary benefit or income support Number of customers receiving supplementary benefit or income support Proportion of population receiving supplementary benefit or income support Percentage 1979 42,098 115,359 110.75 1991 146,563 201,265 17.00 1 Estimated figures can only be given for 1979 as there was no census held that year.
A copy of this reply will appear in the Official Report and copies will be placed in the Library.
§ Mr. AllenTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will publish a table showing the number and proportion of children who were in families receiving supplementary benefit or income support in 1979 and 1991 in Northern Ireland.
§ Mr. HanleyResponsibility for the subject in question has been delegated to the Social Security Agency under its chief executive, Mr. Alec Wylie. However, I understand that the information is not available in the form requested.