§ Sir Ralph HowellTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will state in pounds sterling what is the total annual payment in unemployment benefit and related measures in(a) the European Union and (b) the United Kingdom.
§ Mr. BurtDetails of the total benefit expenditure on benefits paid to unemployed people is given in table 5, page 81, of the 1994 "Social Security Departmental Report", a copy of which is in the Library. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has responsibility for expenditure in respect of Northern Ireland.
There are also payments of training allowances under several schemes including: youth training bridging allowance, training for work, learning for work and TEC challenge. For 1993–94 the total for Great Britain is estimated to be in the region of £525 million.
In addition to these amounts there are a number of miscellaneous payments made to unemployed people by the Employment Department. Many of these are payments for travel or subsistence when attending interview or certain training courses, but there are also other payments such as those made under the visually impaired, personal reader services. These payments are estimated to total approximately £20 million for the year April 1993–94.
Comparable information for the European Union is not available in the form requested. The Eurostat publication "Social Protection Expenditure and Receipts 1980–1991" gives the latest information available about expenditure on unemployment for EC member states. A copy of this publication is also in the Library.