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Mr. Peter Robinson
asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much has been paid by the Department of Health and Social Services in Northern Ireland for additional heating allowance in the last year.
Mr. Chris Patten
The estimated amount of supplementary benefit heating additions paid in 1983–84, the latest year for which figures are available, was £19,416,000.
Mr. Peter Robinson
asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people in Northern Ireland in receipt of supplementary benefit in each of the last five years also received additional heating allowance.
Mr. Chris Patten
The information is as follows:
| Hundreds | |||||
| Supplementary benefits recipients with additional heating allowance | 1979 | 1980 | 1981* | 1982* | 1983 |
| Extra Heating: | |||||
| at lower rate | 300 | 290 | — | — | 232 |
| at middle rate | 222 | — | — | — | — |
| at higher rate | 33 | 203 | — | — | 285 |
| Central heating: | |||||
| at lower rate | 1 | 35 | — | — | 53 |
| at middle rate | 13 | — | — | — | — |
| at higher rate | 54 | 123 | — | — | 268 |
| Age related heating addition | — | 98 | — | — | 111 |
| Disabled person's heating addition | — | 19 | — | — | 43 |
| Estate rate heating additions: | |||||
| at lower rate | — | — | — | — | 14 |
| at higher rate | — | — | — | — | 36 |
| Heating at other rates | 23 | 68 | — | — | 1 |
| Totals | 646 | 836 | — | — | 1,043 |
Source: Annual Statistical Enquiry.
* Information is not available for 1981 and 1982 because of a computer programme error.