HC Deb 18 May 1993 vol 225 cc139-40W
Mr. Hall

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the amount of housing benefit paid(a) to council house tenants, (b) to housing association tenants, (c) to private rented tenants and (d) in total in (i) the Runcorn area of the Warrington, South constituency and (ii) the whole of the constituency in each year since 1986.

Mr. Burt

Information on expenditure on housing benefit is collected on a local authority basis. Information is available neither for the Runcorn area of the Warrington, South constituency nor for the Warrington, South constituency as a whole.

The available information for the borough councils of Warrington and Halton, which form part of the Warrington, South constituency, is in the table.

Housing benefit expenditure (£ thousands)1
Year Rent rebate2 Rent allowance3 Rate rebate4 Total
Local Authority
Halton
1986–87 4,040 1,043 4,640 9,723
1987–88 4,401 1,137 5,115 10,653
1988–89 4,541 1,232 4,167 9,940
1989–90 4,563 3,168 4,155 11,886
1990–91 5,037 6,920 11,957
1991–92 6,254 8,285 14,539
Warrington
1986–87 5,362 1,184 4,472 11,018
1987–88 5,508 1,264 4,894 11,666
1988–89 5,670 1,329 4,199 11,198
1989–90 5,749 1,597 4,382 11,728
1990–91 6,334 2,104 8,438
1991–92 6,720 2,960 9,680
1 The expenditure figures are from information supplied by local authorities and represent the authorities' claims for benefit paid and not subsidy received.
2 Rent rebates are awarded to tenants in the council sector.
3 Rent allowances are paid to tenants in the private sector and include those paid to tenants of Housing Associations: separate information in respect of Housing Associations is not available.
4 From 1986–87 to 1989–90 inclusive, Housing Benefit included rate rebates. As rate rebates were paid to qualifying council and private tenants, in addition to owner occupiers, total rate rebate expenditure has been included in the table. It is not possible to separate out that part of the rate rebate expenditure which was received by tenants.