§ 66. Mr. Ewingasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will seek to amend the Family Income Supplement Act so that amounts paid in respect of a person's superannuation contributions do not count as income.
§ Sir K. JosephNo. The general principle of the Family Income Supplement Scheme is that entitlement is based on gross earnings, and I do not think it would be right to make an exception for these particular deductions.
§ 72. Mr. Edward Lyonsasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will introduce legislation enabling low-income families in which the wife is the bread-winner and the husband looks after home and children to be eligible for family income supplement.
§ Mr. DeanI have nothing to add to my reply to the hon. Member for Newark (Mr. Bishop) on 21st October, 1971, on this subject.—[Vol. 823, c.195.]
§ Mr. O'Halloranasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many families in the greater London area, borough by borough, are in receipt of the family income supplement; and what was the total number of applications received to the latest convenient date.
66W
§ Mr. DeanI regret that information of this kind is at present available only for departmental regions. We are examining the possibility of obtaining it for smaller areas.