23. Mr. Gresham Cookeasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how much was paid out in total and per head by way of supplementary benefits to those on strike and those thrown out of work in the recent South Wales blast-furnacemen's strike.
§ The Joint Under-Secretary of State for the Department of Health and Social Security (Mr. Brian O'Malley)About 3,300 supplementary benefit payments totalling approximately £22,300 were made to the dependants of strikers in the South Wales blast-furnacemen's dispute, an average payment of £6 15s. In addition, just under 50 payments totalling £107 were made to relieve urgent need among single strikers. 97 payments totalling about £330 were made during the dispute to men and their families laid off by the Steel Company of Wales as a result of the strike.
Mr. Gresham CookeDoes not this emphasise how tremendously expensive are these strikes to the national Exchequer? This is in addition to the port strike, where hundreds of thousands of pounds were paid out, and the Vauxhall, Ellesmere Port, strike where, equally, hundreds of thousands of pounds were paid out to people on strike and to those who were affected, with apparently no regard to whether refunds were coming back.
§ Mr. O'MalleyOf course strikes are expensive to the nation as a whole, but the hon. Gentleman should bear in mind that, compared with supplementary benefits of £22,300, on a conservative estimate the workers themselves lost about 744 £165,000 in wages, and roughly 50 per cent. of the strikers in this long dispute, which went on for almost two months, made no claim for supplementary benefit.
24. Mr. Gresham Cookeasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether, in making payments by way of supplementary benefits to those on strike, any account is taken of income tax refunds to strikers which are being received at the same time.
§ Mr. EnnalsYes, Sir. Income tax refunds received by strikers are taken into account in assessing the supplementary benefit entitlement of their dependants to the extent that these refunds, together with any other personal income which the striker may have, exceed the amount of the striker's own personal requirements by supplementary benefit standards.
Mr. Gresham CookeAs we have just heard in the previous reply, an average of about £6 was paid out in supplementary benefits to strikers and those affected by the strike. Is not it true that in a great many strikes no regard has been had to whether strikers were getting refunds and that, for instance, refunds of up to £20 are payable to people affected by strikes who are also getting supplementary benefits?
§ Mr. EnnalsNo, it is not true, as I said in answer to the hon. Gentleman's Question. In any case, the procedure which he is now questioning is one that has been carried out for the last 20 years by successive Administrations, including the one which the hon. Gentleman supported.