§ Mr. David Priceasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is his provisional estimate of the effect of the reduced working week resulting from the introduction of the Electricity (Industrial and Commercial Use) (Control) Order 1973 upon the number of applications for, and the number of payments of, social security benefit on a weekly basis.
§ Mr. DeanA provisional estimate is that, as a result of the present electricity restrictions, about 1½ million people working short time claimed unemployment benefit in each of the weeks ending 11th and 18th January ; but it is not yet possible to estimate the number of payments made. The number of people claiming supplementary benefit in the week ending 15th January was somewhat higher than at the same time last year, but it is impossible to say how much of the increase results from the introduction of the reduced working week.