§ Mr. PrescottTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people were currently receiving housing benefit in(a) Durham, (b) Cleveland, (c) Tyne and Wear, (d) Cumbria, and (e) Northumberland, for each year from 1980; and if he will include the most recent figures for housing benefit claimants in these areas which are available.
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§ Mr. HagueThe available information is in the table.
1988–89 1989–90 1990–91 1991–92 1992–93 August 93 Durham 57,000 56,000 56,000 55,000 56,000 58,000 Cleveland 55,000 54,000 53,000 54,000 55,000 57,000 Tyne and Wear 147,000 143,000 139,000 138,000 141,000 143,000 Cumbria 27,000 27,000 27,000 28,000 30,000 31,000 Northumberland 23,000 22,000 22,000 22,000 23,000 23,000 Source: The Housing Benefit Management Information System Quarterly caseload counts. Notes: 1. no reliable information is available prior to 1988. 2. estimates are included for non-responding authorities. 3. housing benefit has been defined as rent rebate and rent allowance. 4. all figures are rounded to the nearest 1,000 and are in benefit units, not individuals; couples are counted as one unit.