Social Security

Mr. Meacher
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to his answer of 1 February, Official Report, columns 342–43, and the letter of 12 February, concerning the real terms increase in social security expenditure, what information on the percentage of the real terms increase attributable to an increase in the number of beneficiaries is available to him without incurring disproportionate cost.

Mr. Needham
[holding answer 5 March 1990]: The estimated average numbers of claimants receiving the main social security benefits during the years in question rose or are expected to rise as follows: --
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