§ Mr. Charles Morrisonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she will make arrangements to pay sickness benefit to a parent of a one-parent family when one or more children are ill necessitating the parent's absence from work.
§ Mr. O'MalleyNo. Sickness benefit is only payable in respect of personal incapacity for work. People can be prevented from working for a variety of reasons other than their incapacity, and it would not be appropriate to single out a particular group or set of circumstances for special consideration.