To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what estimate he has made of the cost of providing free school meals for children living in families receiving family credit. [7186]

About £130 million a year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate the annual cost of increasing the maintenance disregard for lone parents in receipt of family credit by (i) £20, (ii) £25, (iii) £30 and how many lone parents would receive maintenance in each case. [7181]

The information is set out in the table.

Estimated cost of increasing the maintenance disregard in family credit for lone parents 1996–97
Maintenance disregard increased to£	Additional net benefit costs £ million
20	5
25	10
30	15
35	20

Estimates are rounded to the nearest £5 million.It is estimated that around 90,000 lone parents receive maintenance in each case.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate the annual cost of reducing the family credit taper for those in work to (i) 65 per cent., (ii) 60 per cent., (iii) 55 per cent. and iv) 50 per cent.; and how many people would be entitled to family credit in each of these cases. [7198]

The information is set out in the table.

Estimated cost of reducing the family credit taper: 1996–97
Taper	Family credit £ million	Housing benefit £ million	Council tax benefit £ million	Net cost £ million	Family credit estimated caseload
70 per cent.	—	—	—	—	680,000
65 per cent.	120	–15	1—	105	700,000
60 per cent.	260	–25	–5	230	755,000
55 per cent.	435	–40	–5	390	820,000
50 per cent.	645	–50	–10	585	900,000

Estimates based on the Family Expenditure Surveys of 1991, 1992 and 1993, uprated to 1996–97 prices and benefit levels.Estimates of costs are rounded to the nearest £5 million. Estimates of caseloads are rounded to the nearest 5,000.Figures may not sum exactly due to rounding.