Mr Major’s Written Parliamentary Answer on Expenditure – 27 April 1987

Below is the text of Mr Major’s written Parliamentary Answer on Expenditure on 27th April 1987.

Mr. Clay Asked the Secretary of State for Social Services, pursuant to his reply of 6 April to the hon. Member for Sunderland North, Official Report, column 107, how much of the increase in social security expenditure reflecting a real increase in the average amount of benefit paid is attributable to actual real increases in benefit rates.

Mr. Major Because of the number of structural changes to the benefit system over this period, and the complicated relationship between the rates of income-related benefits and the actual amounts paid, it would require substantial work to isolate the effect of real increases in benefit rates. I regret therefore that it would be disproportionately costly to provide this information.