§ Mr. Nicholas Edwardsasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what index of prices is used by his Department as the basis for grants given to social security recipients for the purchase of clothing and other necessities; how often it is revised; and what effort is made to ensure that it bears some relationship to prices actually charged in the shops.
§ Mr. OrmeThe clothing and bedding price list issued to local social security offices in April 1973 was based on a survey of the cost of durable quality goods available at chain-stores and by mail order. It was revised in August 1974, May 1975 and August 1976 on the basis of statistics on price increases for individual items. The Supplementary Benefits Commission will publish shortly a revised list, based on a new survey of the prices of goods at a number of retail outlets.