HC Deb 17 June 1996 vol 279 cc327-8W
Mr. Simpson

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer of 7 May to the hon. Member for Glasgow, Rutherglen (Mr. McAvoy),Official Report, columns 93–94, if he will provide the same information for each year since 1978. [32579]

Mr. Burt

The information is in the table:

£ million
Year Social security benefit expenditure (a) Means-tested benefits (b) (b) expressed as a percentage of (a)
1978–79 15,873 2,692 17.0
1979–80 18,777 2,940 15.7
1980–81 22,658 3,830 16.9
1981–82 27,698 5,587 21.1
1982–83 31,628 7,917 25.0
1983–84 35,332 9,449 26.7
1984–85 38,225 10,755 28.1
1986–86 41,699 12,163 29.2
1986–87 44,913 13,171 29.3
1987–88 46,697 13,398 28.7
1988–89 47,333 13,265 28.0
1989–90 50,174 14,050 28.0
1990–91 56,509 16,804 29.7
1991–92 66,382 20,328 30.6
1992–93 75,336 25,518 33.9
1993–94 82,427 28,707 34.8
1994–95 84,866 30,308 35.7
1995–96 88,787 31,625 35.6