asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the total expenditure and per capita expenditure on all social security benefits in (a) Great Britain, (b) Scotland, (c) Wales and (d) the English regions in each year since 1970.
The expenditure in the financial years 1970–71, 1971–72, 1972–73 and 1973–74 is shown in the following tables. I regret that there is insufficient information available at present to provide a regional analysis of expenditure for the 1974–75 year. The total figure for Great Britain for 1974–75 was £6,592 millions.each year since 1970; and if she will express this total per capita of person of working age in each area.
The information requested is as follows:
| EXPENDITURE ON UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFIT | ||||||||||
| 1970–71 | 1971–72 | 1972–73 | 1973–74 | 1974–75 | ||||||
| Country or Region | Total Amount | Amount per head of population* | Total Amount | Amount per head of population* | Total Amount | Amount per head of population* | Total Amount | Amount per head of population* | Total Amount | Amount per head of population* |
| £m. | £ | £m. | £ | £m. | £ | £m. | £ | £m. | £ | |
| Great Britain | 150 | 4·60 | 239 | 7·41 | 209 | 6·47 | 174 | 5·37 | 214 | 6·60 |
| England | 119 | 4·26 | 190 | 6·89 | 166 | 6·01 | 139 | 5·02 | 170 | 6·13 |
| Northern | 14 | 6·90 | 20 | 10·19 | 21 | 10·71 | 19 | 10·16 | 21 | 11·22 |
| Yorkshire and Humberside | 15 | 5·19 | 23 | 8·06 | 21 | 7·35 | 17 | 5·88 | 19 | 6·55 |
| East Midlands | 8 | 3·94 | 15 | 7·38 | 11 | 5·38 | 9 | 4·07 | 12 | 5·41 |
| East Anglia | 4 | 3·96 | 6 | 6·01 | 4 | 3·96 | 4 | 3·90 | 5 | 4·82 |
| South East | 34 | 3·23 | 49 | 4·68 | 40 | 3·83 | 35 | 3·41 | 43 | 4·20 |
| South West | 9 | 4·07 | 13 | 5·90 | 12 | 5·40 | 11 | 4·56 | 16 | 6·59 |
| West Midland | 14 | 4·38 | 26 | 8·36 | 21 | 6·72 | 15 | 4·79 | 18 | 5·73 |
| North West | 21 | 5·22 | 38 | 9·56 | 36 | 9·07 | 30 | 7·72 | 35 | 9·02 |
| Wales | 8 | 4·89 | 13 | 8·06 | 11 | 6·81 | 12 | 7·39 | 15 | 9·20 |
| Scotland | 23 | 7·54 | 37 | 12·10 | 32 | 10·46 | 23 | 7·52 | 29 | 9·41 |
| *Based on population figures for men aged 15 to 64 and women aged 15 to 59. Figures from age 16 are not available. | ||||||||||
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the total expenditure on supplementary benefits in (a) Great Britain (b) Scotland (c) Wales and (d) the English
| EXPENDITURE ON SUPPLEMENTARY BENEFITS | ||||||||||
| Financial years | ||||||||||
| 1970–71 | 1971–72 | 1972–73 | 1973–74 | 1974–75 | ||||||
| Regions | £ million | £ per head | £ million | £ per head | £ million | £ per head | £ million | £ per head | £ million | £ per head |
| Great Britain | 524 | 9·67 | 643 | 11·90 | 690 | 12·72 | 686 | 12·61 | 835 | 15·34 |
| Scotland | 57 | 10·96 | 74 | 14·18 | 82 | 15·74 | 82 | 15·73 | 96 | 18·37 |
| Wales | 34 | 12·44 | 39 | 14·31 | 41 | 14·99 | 40 | 14·55 | 49 | 17·76 |
| England: | ||||||||||
| Northern | 40 | 11·91 | 51 | 15·45 | 55 | 16·68 | 52 | 15·78 | 61 | 19·51 |
| Yorkshire and Humberside | 50 | 10·39 | 61 | 12·68 | 65 | 13·47 | 63 | 13·04 | 78 | 15·93 |
| East Midlands | 29 | 8·62 | 32 | 9·44 | 37 | 10·83 | 36 | 10·44 | 48 | 12·91 |
| East Anglia | 12 | 7·17 | 15 | 8·92 | 13 | 7·60 | 15 | 8·63 | 17 | 9·67 |
| South-East | 153 | 8·84 | 184 | 10·66 | 193 | 11·14 | 190 | 10·97 | 233 | 13·74 |
| South-West | 34 | 9·03 | 40 | 10·55 | 40 | 10·44 | 41 | 10·57 | 54 | 12·84 |
| West Midland | 43 | 8·30 | 56 | 10·94 | 62 | 12·03 | 60 | 11·62 | 73 | 14·09 |
| North-West | 72 | 10·61 | 90 | 13·36 | 103 | 15·25 | 106 | 15·69 | 126 | 19·11 |
regions in each year since 1970; and if she will express this total per capita of population for each area.
The information requested is shown in the following table:
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is her estimate of the increase in public expenditure which would arise if all persons claimed every social security benefit to which they were entitled.
I will publish the information in the Official Report when it is available.