HC Deb 26 May 1993 vol 225 cc633-5W
Mr. Wigley

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what estimate he has of the overall cost of provisions for income maintenance in Wales; and what are the total amounts of expenditure, or revenue forgone, on (a) benefits, (b) administering benefits, (c) student grants, (d) statutory sick pay and statutory maternity pay, (e) income tax allowances, (f) income tax reliefs and (g) the total value of contracted-out rebates and two per cent. incentives in respect of personal pensions and contracted-out schemes.

Mr. Burt

It is not possible to provide a reply in the precise form requested as some of the income maintenance information is not collected or maintained separately for Wales. The latest information available is as follows.

  1. (i) Expenditure on Income Support in Wales in 1989–90 was £442 million.1
    2. 634
  2. (ii) Expenditure on Housing Benefit in Wales in 1992–93 was £380 million.2
  3. (iii) Estimated cost of administration of all social security benefits in Wales for 1992–93 is £55.3 million.
  4. (iv) Estimated cost of income tax allowances on personal taxation in Wales for 1990–91 is £6,250 million.
  5. (v) Estimated cost of tax relief on earnings and investments (excluding MIRAS) in Wales for 1990–91 is £485 million.
  6. (vi) Expenditure on mandatory and discretionary student grants awarded by local authorities in Wales to students normally resident in their area in 1990–91 was £109 million.

Additional statistical information for Wales can he found in 'Welsh Economic Trends, No. 13', published by the Welsh Office in 1992, a copy of which is in the Library.

Note:

1 Figures underlying Table of the Departmental Report (Cm. 2213).

2 Table 8.7 of CSO Regional Trends 27 (1992).