§ Mr. Sproatasked the Secretary of State for Social Services under what provisions grants are made to newly-arrived immigrant families to help them settle in, in the United Kingdom; how much money this has amounted to in each of the last five years; how many immigrants have been in receipt of such grants; and what is the average amount per grant.
§ Mr. OrmeI am not aware of any scheme to provide settlement grants for immigrants. The Supplementary Benefits Commission has discretion to make lump-sum payments to meet exceptional needs, and immigrants may qualify for such help in exactly the same way as anyone else in need. No separate records are kept of the payments made to immigrants.