asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she will estimate the number of people in Wales whose net income after tax and national insurance deductions, but including family allowances, FIS and rent and rate rebates, where appropriate, is below (a) supplementary benefit level and (b) flat-rate unemployment benefit level.

Estimates of numbers of persons with incomes below supplementary benefit level are derived from the Family Expenditure Survey and the sample for Wales is insufficient to provide a precise estimate. The 1974 survey suggests, however, that there are in Wales about 120,000 such persons, of whom the majority are in single-person families. This estimate includes persons in full-time work and excludes supplementary benefit recipients: it is also subject to sampling error and does not purport to show the level of unclaimed entitlement to supplementary benefit. Estimates of the numbers living on incomes below the flat-rate unemployment benefit level are not available.