asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish in the Official Report figures giving details of the number of claimants and number of dependants in (a) Birkenhead and (b) England and Wales claiming supplementary benefit in May 1979 and at the latest available date; and if he will break down the information to show whether the claimant is (i) over retirement age, (ii) unemployed, (iii) sick, (iv) a single-parent family and (v) in any other category.
Information is not available in the form requested. However table 1 shows the numbers claiming in England and Wales, and from the two local offices in Birkenhead, which may include people who live outside Birkenhead itself. Available information about the number of dependants is given in table 2.recipients whose entitlement arose before 15 March 1982 and who have chosen to continue on weekly payment are not available, but breakdown by region of all recipients is as follows:
| Child benefit recipients receiving payment weekly | ||
| Postal Region | Number | Percentage within region |
| London | 550,000 | 56 |
| Eastern | 406,000 | 65 |
| Midlands | 773,000 | 72 |
| North Eastern | 798,000 | 76 |
| North Western | 648,000 | 75 |
| South Western | 424,000 | 70 |
| South Eastern | 416,000 | 68 |
| Scotland | 415,000 | 62 |
| Wales | 319,000 | 71 |
| Overall | 4,749,000 | 65 |