To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what would be the reduction in overall expenditure in all welfare benefits, with the exception of child benefit, if all the adult working population including those currently classified as unemployed were deemed to have earned £100 per week.

The outcome of the proposal outlined in i he question would not result in a benefit saving.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what has been the average expenditure per claimant for each social security benefit at 1991–92 prices for each year since 1979; and what was the percentage increase or decrease each year.

The available information is in the tables. In considering this data, it must be borne in mind that wholly beneficial benefit enhancements can, by increasing beneficiary numbers, produce an apparent fall in real average payments whereas in reality household real income from social security can be higher—for example, the growing number of married women receiving pensions in their own right. For income-related benefits, amounts paid reflect other income and other benefits, and changes from year to year are the consequence of increases in various benefits made to reflect the Government's concern to help elderly and sick people and families.