§ 17. Mr. Worsleyasked the Minister of Social Security whether the recommendations of her Department's pamphlet, "Administration of the Wage Stop", have now been fully implemented.
§ Mrs. HartLast month the recommendations relating to the use of standard local authority wage rates, and more favourable treatment of expenses, were brought into effect. This change benefited about 14,000 claimants. The other recommendations, which demand examination of the individual circumstances of those who are wage stopped are now being introduced as rapidly as each separate case can be reviewed.
§ Mr. WorsleyWould the right hon. Lady indicate whether the whole of this provision will be carried out administratively or whether a regulation on the matter will be laid which we can debate?
§ Mrs. HartThis is purely an administrative matter for the Supplementary Benefits Commission, just as the report was from the Supplementary Benefits Commission. If the hon. Member has any particular points in mind, he is free to write to me or to the Chairman of the Supplementary Benefits Commission about them.
§ Mr. William HamiltonMy right hon. Friend says that 14,000 will benefit. How many are in Scotland?
§ Mrs. HartA fair proportion. I do not have the figure, but the correct proportion are from Scotland. A number of people in Scotland have benefited particularly from the new assessment in relation to the rates of manual labourers, and the other recommendations, which depend upon the individual assessment of each case, will equally benefit a number in Scotland, particularly among the disabled, because in Scotland we tend to have quite a proportion of disabled persons.