HC Deb 16 March 2004 vol 419 c213W
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many mothers in Crosby have taken up the Sure Start maternity grant. [160523]

Mr. Pond

Sure Start Maternity Grants (SSMGs) replaced Social Fund Maternity Payments from March 2000 at the rate of £200 per child, this was increased to £300 in September 2000 and to £500 for children born on or after 16 June 2002. Sure Start Maternity Grants are single payments that are paid to either the mother of a child or their partner.

The information is not available in the format requested; the available information is in the table.

Applications and awards for Sure Start Maternity Grants for Knowsley and Sefton Jobcentre Plus District.
SSMG applications SSMG awards
2000–01 2,076 1,867
2001–02 2,270 2,002
2002–03 2,714 2,254
2003–041 2,634 2,129
1Data for 2003–04 is for April 2003 to February 2004 only. Note: Crosby Parliamentary Constituency is part of the Knowsley and Sefton Jobcentre Plus District which was formed by merging Knowsley Social Fund District and Sefton Social Fund District in October 2003. For comparison purposes, data before the merger is given for Knowsley Social Fund District and Sefton Social Fund District combined.

Source: DWP Social Fund Policy, Budget and Management Information System.