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Expenditure

Volume 205: debated on Tuesday 10 March 1992

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To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will update his answer of 15 March 1990, Official Report, columns 335–36, concerning administration costs as a percentage of benefit expenditure.

Administration costs as a percentage of benefit expenditure for each year from 1978–79 to 1991–92 are in the table:

Per cent.

1978–795·0
1979–804·9
1980–815·0
1981–824·9
1982–834·8
1983–844·7
1984–854·4
1985–864·4
1986–874·6
1987–885·0
1988–895·3
1989–905·6
1990–915·7
1991–92

15·5

1 Estimated.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list, for each year since 1978–79 the total amount spent on social security, excluding expenditure on the unemployed, at current prices and in 1991–92 prices, showing the real terms percentage increase or decrease.

Details of total social security spending from 1978–79 to 1991–92, excluding the amount spent on unemployed people, are given in the table.

Expenditure £ million
Cash1991–92 pricesPercentage change in real terms over previous year
1978–7915,22841,310
1979–8018,14642,1902·1
1980–8121,22141,695-1·2
1981–8224,94144,6907·2
1982–8327,98946,8164·8
1983–8431,18049,8446·5
1984–8533,63851,2112·7
1985–8636,53952,7192·9
1986–8739,54955,2454·8
1987–8842,28456,0191·4
1988–8944,50555,011-1·8
1989–9048,53956,3432·4
1990–9154,14357,9332·8
1991–92161,13361,13351·5
1 1991–92 figures are estimated outturn.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the total amount spent on social security in Great Britain, in current and in 1991–92 prices, for each year since 1978–79; and what was the percentage real terms decrease or increase in each year.

Details of total social security spending from 1978–79 to 1991–92 are given in the table.

Expenditure £ millionPercentage change in real terms over previous year
Cash1991–92 prices
1978–7916,60245,037
1979–8019,61645,6081·3
1980–8123,75146,6662·3
1981–8228,96351,89611·2
1982–8333,00055,1986·4
1983–8436,88158,9586·8
1984–8539,95760,8313·2
1985–8643,50262,7653·2
1986–8746,85965,4564·3
1987–8848,93464,829-1·0

Expenditure £ million

Percentage change in real terms over previous year

Cash

1991–92 prices

1988–8949,74561,488-5·2
1989–9052,84961,346-0·2
1990–9159,18363,3263·2
1991–9268,49368,4938·2

Notes:

(1) 1991–92 figures are estimated outturn.

(2) The real terms decrease over the period 1987–88 to 1989–90 is largely attributable to the fall in unemployment since 1986.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will update his answer of 15 December 1989, Official Report, column 852, concerning social security spending, to include 1990–91 and 1991–92.

The information requested is given in the table.

Expenditure £ millionPer 100,000 population £ million
YearCash1978–79 pricesCash1978–79 pricesPercentage of GDP
1978–7916,43716,43730·130·19–63
1979–8019,41616,64135·530·49·48
1980–8123,48317,00842·931·010·06
1981–8228,58218,87952·134·411·16
1982–8332,45120,00959·336·511·57
1983–8435,15920,71964·237·811·56
1984–8539,71622,28972·340·612·20
1985–8643,23722,99678·541·812·13
1986–8746,61124,00184·443·512·15
1987–8848,77123,81888·143·011·49
1988–8949,41922,51889·140·610·46
1989–9052,18222,32893·840·110·18
1990–9156,07722,118100·539·610·10
1991–9265,11624,003116·342·911·07

Notes:

1. 1991–92 figures are estimated outturn.

2. Expenditure figures from 1978–79 to 1983–84 are based on the old planning total; those for 1984–85 onwards are based on the new planning total, with statutory sick pay, statutory maternity pay, and further housing benefit elements included for the first time.