§ Mr. Austin Mitchell (Great Grimsby)I have the honour to present a second petition from my constituents 642 on a different matter. It concerns the changes in the available scale margin from November which lead to the deduction of £1 from the heating addition paid to claimants on the long-term rate of supplementary benefit.
The petition reads:
To the Honourable The House of Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in Parliament assembled:The Humble Petition of the residents of the constituency of Great Grimsby sheweth that we affirm that society has a responsibility to look after its old people, to treat them as generously as the community which they have served can afford and to make special provision for their health and welfare.To this end Parliament has decided that those pensioners, in special need, should be paid a special allowance known as the heating addition to help with the heavy and increasing costs of heating their homes.This is provided because heating is a disproportionately heavy cost for those on small budgets; costs of all kinds of fuel have risen faster than the cost of living and older people have a special need to keep warm through the winter to avoid the dangers of hypothermia.Nevertheless, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Security has decided in regulations announced in June and coming into force in November to deduct £1 from the heating allowance payable to those in special need. This places an unfair and unreasonable burden on those who need help most and frustrates the intention of Parliament in providing a heating allowance which, to be effective, must be geared to the cost of heating.Wherefore your petitioners pray that the House of Commons will take immediate steps to end these grievous and unfair deductions.And your Petitioners, as in duty bound, will every pray etc.The petition is signed by Mr. W. Walker of 5 Rowan drive — a pensioner who organised and prepared the petition and collected 3,922 signatures. The scale of that effort and the number of signatures clearly represents a widespread concern. It behoves the House of Commons and the Government to listen seriously to Mr. Walker and to those who have expressed their support. I have the honour to present this petition on behalf of my constituents.
§ To lie upon the Table.