asked the Secretary of State for Social Services, further to his answer to the hon. Member for Wolverhampton, North-East of 8 November, by how much child benefit will need to be increased if price increases (a) continue at the same level as in the past six month period or (b) continue at the level at present forecast by Her Majesty's Treasury.
To take (b) first, the Industry Act forecast published by my right hon. and learned Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer on 22 November contained a forecast of the movement of prices from quarter four 1979 to quarter four 1980. It would not be appropriate to apply that figure to the period April 1979 to April 1980 that the hon. Member specified in her earlier question. As regards (a) it would also be inappropriate
(3) what was the average cost of residential accommodation for a child in care in each of the past three years.
The figures for the latest three-year period for which full information is available are:to assume that inflation over the next six months will be the same as the inflation over the past six months.The timing and amount of any future uprating of child benefit will be determined at the appropriate time in accordance with the provision in the Child Benefit Act 1975.