§ Ms HarmanTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether he will publish an estimate of the effect on social security expenditure and tax revenues of 801W reductions in Department of the Environment housing expenditure between 1992–93 and 1993–94; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. HagueThe information is not available. The link between reductions in Department of the Environment housing expenditure and social security expenditure and tax revenues is not direct and is affected by the complex interaction of a number of factors.
Year Rent Rebate Rent Allowance RPI Eligible Rent2 Percentage increase All Tenants Housing3 Association Other Private £ Eligible Rent2 £ Percentage increase £ £ Per cent. May 1988 18.84 — 21.32 — — — 4.2 May 1989 20.57 9.2 24.29 13.9 — — 8.3 May 1990 23.62 14.8 29.42 21.1 — — 9.7 May 1991 27.29 15.5 35.75 21.5 — — 5.8 May 1992 30.48 11.7 41.67 16.6 36.54 48.57 4.3 Data Sources: The Housing Benefit Management Information System annual one percent sample of May in each year and the Employment Gazette, which provides figures based on the increase in the Retail Price Index from May of the previous year to May of the year shown.
1 Figures on the extent to which increases in spending on rent rebate and rent allowance are due to increases in rents over inflation are not available.
2 Data on rent paid is not available, therefore, the information relates to the amount of rent eligible for Housing Benefit.
3 Discrete information for Housing Association tenants was not collected before 1992.