asked Her Majesty's Government:In which areas of the United Kingdom cold weather payments from the social fund were triggered between Christmas and New Year 1995.
Northern Ireland and the following Meteorological Office weather stations within Great Britain triggered Social Fund Cold Weather Payments between 25 December 1995 to 1 January 1996:
| Aberdeen (twice) | Heathrow |
| Aberporth | Kinloss |
| Aughton | Kirkwall (twice) |
| Aviemore | Leeds |
| Bedford | Lerwick |
| Birmingham | Leuchars |
| Boscombe Down | Lyneham |
| Boulmer | Machrihanish |
| Bournemouth | Manchester |
| Braemar | Marham |
| Brize Norton | Shawbury |
| Capel Curig | Stansted |
| Carlisle | Stornoway |
| Cardiff (Rhoose) | Tynemouth |
| Coltishall | Tulloch Bridge |
| Cilfynydd | Waddington |
| Lone Parents receiving Benefit 1991–1995 | ||||||||
| Income Support | Housing Benefit | Community Charge Benefit | Council Tax Benefit | Family Credit | Disability Working Allowance | Widowed Mothers Allowance | One Parent Benefit | |
| 1991 | 871,000 | 654,000 | 793,000 | n/a | 131,000 | — | 48,400 | 802,000 |
| 1992 | 957,000 | 788,000 | 921,000 | n/a | 155,000 | — | 49,410 | 849,000 |
| 1993 | 1.013m | 815,000 | n/a | 799,000 | 206,000 | 270 | 49,720 | 902,000 |
| 1994 | 1.039m | 859,000 | n/a | 901,000 | 235,000 | 421 | 49,600 | 937,000 |
| 1995 | 1.049m | — | — | — | 248,000 | 658 | 51,450 | 947,000 |
| n/a—not applicable. | ||||||||
| 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest thousand. Exact figures have been quoted for Disability Working Allowance. | ||||||||
| 2. In Income Support, Housing Benefit, Community Charge Benefit and Council Tax Benefit lone parent refers to cases where the lone parent premium is in payment. For Disability Working Allowance, Family Credit and One Parent Benefit a lone parent has been defined as a person who is living alone with their children. Lone Parents receiving Widowed Mothers Allowance are beneficiaries receiving an increase for a child. | ||||||||
| 3. Council Tax Benefit replaced Community Charge Benefit from April 1993. | ||||||||
| 4. There will be some overlap between benefits as a person may receive one or more of the named benefits. | ||||||||
| 5. Disability Working Allowance was introduced in April 1992. | ||||||||
| 6. Figures for 1995 are not available for Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit. | ||||||||
| 7. Figures are based on statistical enquiries which are not always conducted in April of each year. The sources are: | ||||||||
| Income Support Statistics Annual/Quarterly enquiries May 1991-May 1994, February 1995. | ||||||||
| Family Credit Quarterly Statistics April 1991-April 1995. | ||||||||
| Disability Working Allowance Quarterly Enquiries April 1993-April 1995. | ||||||||
| One Parent Benefit count 31 May 1991-31 May 1995. | ||||||||
| Housing Benefit Management Information System, annual 1 per cent. sample enquiries taken at the end of May in each year given. | ||||||||
| Widows Benefit biannual enquiry (data as at 30 September each year). | ||||||||
| Dunkeswell | Wattisham |
| Edinburgh | Whitby |
| Eskdalemuir | Wick |
| Eskmeals | Wilsden |
| Gatwick | Yeovilton |
| Glasgow |
asked Her Majesty's Government:In how many weeks, Cold Weather Payments have been made in at least one area of the United Kingdom.
Cold weather payments have been triggered in five of the weeks since 1 November, when the scheme commenced this winter.
asked Her Majesty's Government:What has been the average annual cost of cold weather payments since their introduction.
Since the regulated cold weather payment scheme began in 1986, the average annual amount awarded has been £10.4 million. The annual amount paid is dependent on the severity of the winter weather conditions. In addition, a number of changes have been made to the entitlement criteria since the scheme began.