§ Mr. Alex CarlileTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the average estimated yearly cost to the Treasury of an unemployed person; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Michael ForsythThe latest available estimate of gross benefit payments to the unemployed is £9.3 billion for the 1992–93 financial year. If the assumption of 2.8 million unemployed is used, this gives an average benefit cost of £3,300 per unemployed person per year.