§ Ms StuartTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when she intends to publish her annual report on the Social Fund for 1996–97 and the annual report of the Social Fund Commissioner. [9608]
§ Mr. Keith BradleyThe Secretary of State's annual report on the Social Fund for 1996–97 (CM 3667) was published today and has been laid before Parliament. The report records that the gross budget allocated to the discretionary part of the Fund during the year was £440.5 million.
Total gross expenditure in 1996–97 was £539 million. This included almost 2 million non-repayable grants and interest free loans worth £432 million and Funeral, Maternity and Cold Weather Payments worth £107 million.
The Secretary of State makes clear in the Report our commitment to modernising and improving welfare delivery. The current Social Security Bill will enable the decision-making process for budgeting loans to be made easier for applicants to understand, less time consuming for staff to operate and more cost effective to administer.
242WThe Social Fund Commissioner's annual report has also been published today and copies placed in the Library.