§ Mr. CousinsTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if she will list (i) the number of claimants of housing benefit, (ii) the number of claimants as a percentage of the whole population, (iii) the total amount of housing benefit paid and (iv) the housing benefit per claimant for Newcastle upon Tyne from 1992–93 to 1997–98. [31535]
§ Mr. Keith BradleyThe information is set out in the table.
Housing benefit in Newcastle upon Tyne Recipients Recipients as a percentage of the whole population Expenditure £ Average weekly benefit £ 1992–93 38,900 13.8 61,015 27.98 1993–94 40,230 14.1 67,834 30.04 1994–95 40,580 14.3 73,103 32.44 1995–96 40,340 14.2 78,434 35.02 1996–97 40,050 14.2 80,090 36.31 Notes:
1. Recipients can be a single person or a couple.
2. 1997–98 figures not yet available.
Sources:
1. Housing Benefit Management Information System.
2. DSS and Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions financial returns.
3. Population Estimates Unit, Office for National Statistics.
§ Mr. LilleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if she will make a statement on the net cost to public funds over the next four years of recent changes in respect of eligibility of single people to receive housing benefit. [32069]
§ Mr. Keith BradleyThe Government have revoked the measure put in place by the previous administration to extend the Single Room Rent to most single people between the ages of 25 and 59. They have also decided to proceed with the measures that exempted some young people from the restrictions announced in October 1996 on Housing Benefit for single people aged under 25, young people with non-dependants living with them and those in receipt of the severe Disability Premium.
The costs of these changes have been met by reallocation of resources from other programmes and will not lead to any net increase in overall planned public expenditure in 1997–98 and 1998–99.
Detailed expenditure plans for future years will be set after the completion of the Comprehensive Spending Reviews.