§ Mrs. Haymanasked the Secretary of State for Energy how many households dependent on supplementary benefit had (a) gas and (b) electricity disconnected for non-payment in the last 12 months for which figures are available; and how many of these were headed by a lone parent.
§ Mr. MeacherI have been asked to reply.
Separate statistics of the numbers of supplementary benefit households in which a fuel supply is disconnected have not been maintained. Arrangements are being made to record for the period to the end of May all claims for help with fuel debts, the numbers of existing supplementary pensioners and suplementary allowance recipients who are helped and the extent of the help given, with similiar information for people entitled to but not receiving a weekly supplementary benefit. It will not be possible to identify single parents separately, nor to identify all supplementary beneficiaries who are threatened by disconnection, because not all of them do contact the local office.