asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the total administrative cost of providing child interim benefit.

About £1·7 million, including the cost of publicity.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what will be the ratio between the net benefit payable and total administrative cost of child interim benefit; and how this compares with that between benefits and costs of other State benefits, namely, family income supplement in the first year of introduction.

Child interim benefit will be payable only in respect of 1976–77. If one includes the administrative and publicity costs incurred in 1975–76 also, it is estimated that the ratio of child interim benefit payments to administration costs will be nearly 12 to 1 if the benefit is claimed by all persons who will gain. Family income supplement commenced during 1971–72. Including the administrative and publicity costs incurred in 1971–72 before the supplement was paid, the ratio of benefit to administration in that year was nearly 5 to 1; in 1972–73, the first full financial year, the ratio was about 10 to 1.