§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services on the basis of the latest estimates available to him, what would be the gross cost of paying the 100 per cent. rate, the 80 per cent. rate and the 60 per cent. rate, respectively, of industrial disablement benefit to all persons in Great Britain who are very severely handicapped on the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys criteria; and what is his estimate of the savings there would be on supplementary benefit payments.
§ Mr. Alfred Morris, pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 24th November 1977; Vol. 939, c. 896–7], gave the following additional information:
The figures quoted exclude any supplementary allowances payable in addition to, and take no account of current expenditure on, industrial disablement benefit and war disablement pension.