§ 13 and 14. Mr. Archerasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government (1) whether he will consult with local authorities with a view to ensuring that low-income families applying for the benefit of provisions administered by 1328 various Departments are not required to submit to more than one inquiry into means;
(2) whether he will consult with local authorities with a view to ensuring that the test of need for provisions applying to low-income families is more uniform, as between various local authorities and within each authority.
§ Mr. MellishOf the services for which my right hon. Friend is directly responsible, rate rebates are already on a uniform basis; the qualifications are laid down in the Act. In the case of rent rebates for council houses, local authorities have deliberately been given a discretion so that they can take account of local circumstances.
§ Mr. ArcherIs my hon. Friend aware that from area to area and from service to service, some families are submitting to as many as 10 separate means tests and that one research worker has found 56 different definitions of the word "income"? Is it beyond the wit of man to devise some sort of order?
§ Mr. MellishIt may not be beyond the wit of man, but other benefits are payable by other Government Departments. In the case of my own Department, I have already given the information that there is uniformity, but there are a number of other benefits which are given to small-income families—for example, school meals, university awards and home helps. To a large extent, this is a matter for local authority initiative.