§ Mr. Hayhoeasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will give figures showing the reduction in numbers of families affected by the wage stop consequent upon the introduction of the family income supplement.
§ Mr. DeanIt is estimated that the number of claimants whose supplementary benefit was reduced under the wage stop provisions fell from about 18,000 to just under 4,000 when family income supplement was introduced at the beginning of August.
But for the introduction of Family Income Supplement the pre-August figure of 18,000 would have risen very considerably when supplementary benefit scale rates were increased in September, 385W 1971; in fact the number of persons affected by the wage stop in November, 1971 was 20,838.