asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will estimate how many families with incomes of (a) less than £10,000 and (b) more khan £10,000 are currently in receipt of child benefit; and what is the total cost in each case.

In 1983, the latest year for which figures are available, it is estimated that 3·2 million families with total gross incomes (including child benefit) of £10,000 a year or more were receiving a total of £1·8 billion in child benefit a year and that 3·8 million families with lower incomes were receiving a total of £2·2 billion in child benefit a year.