asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the total spending of his Department on benefits and services for the chronically sick and disabled in each of the years 1970–71 to 1978–79; and if he will give the change year by year in percentage as well as money terms.

[pursuant to his reply, 21 March 1980]: The information requested is expressed in the form of separate totals, since expenditure by the Department on the benefits in question relates to Great Britain, whereas expenditure on services for the disabled met centrally relates to England only. The separate figures are as follows:

EXPENDITURE ON CENTRALLY FINANCED SERVICES FOR THE DISABLED—ENGLAND
		Increase year by year
	£ million	£ million	Per cent.
1970–71	10.5
		4.5	43
1971–72	15.0
		1.3	9
1972–73	16.3
		23	14
1973–74	18.6
		7.4	40
1974–75	26.0
		11.4	44
1975–76	37.4
		3.5	9
1976–77	40.9
		4.5	11
1977–78	45.4
		2.9	6
1978–79	48.3

EXPENDITURE ON BENEFITS PAID TO THE CHRONICALLY SICK OR DISABLED—GREAT BRITAIN
		Increase year by year
	£ million	£ million	Per cent.
1970–71	151
		108	72
1971–72	259
		138	53
1972–73	397
		77	19
1973–74	474
		152	32
1974–75	626
		245	39
1975–76	871
		216	25
1976–77	1,087
		243	22
1977–78	1,330
		244	18
1978–79	1,574

Note: The benefits included are war pensions and industrial disablement benefit from 1970–71, invalidity benefit and attendance allowance from 1971–72, non-contributory invalidity pension from 1975–76 and invalid care allowance and mobility allowance from 1976–77.