HC Deb 19 July 1995 vol 263 cc1495-6W
Mr. Pawsey

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer of 17 July, what information he holds relating to the percentage of the population receiving funds from his Department. [36264]

Mr. Mitchell

Exact information in the form requested is not available but, in the 1993–94 family resources survey, 76 per cent. of responding households included at least one member in receipt of a benefit—including state retirement pension—at the time of interview. The survey relates to private households in Great Britain only and therefore excludes people in institutions like nursing homes and bed and breakfast accommodation. Although the survey is designed to be representative, survey responses are subject to biases which would have to be corrected to give a reliable estimate for the total population.