§ Mr. Peter ShoreTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many claimants receive income support in the London borough of Tower Hamlets; and what is the total number of people dependent upon income support within the London borough of Tower Hamlets.
§ Mr. BurtThe administration of income support is a matter for Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief ececutive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member with such information as is available and a copy will be placed in the Library.
Letter from Michael Bichard to Mr. Peter Shore, dated 17 May 1993:
As Chief Executive of the Benfits Agency, it is my responsibility to answer questions about relevant operational matters. I am therefore replying to your recent Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security, asking how many claimants receive Income Support in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, and what is the total number of people dependent upon Income Support within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets.The complete range of information requested could be obtained only at a disproportionate cost. This is because statistics relating to Income Support are not routinely collected to reflect either the number of recipients or their dependents by Borough area. Nor are statistics routinely collected reflecting the number of dependents of Income Support recipients.However, I have appended information showing the number of recipients in the Benefits Agency districts which cover the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. I should emphasise that the boundaries of the offices concerned do not correspond with those of the Borough of Tower Hamlets.I hope you find this reply helpful. A copy of this letter will appear in the Official Report and a copy will also be placed in the Library.137W
District office Income Support Live Load City East 32,469 Hackney and Islington 59,782 Total 92,251