§ Mr. Newtonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether it is the practice for the Supplementary Benefits Commission to see union membership files or membership cards for the purposes of determining who is receiving strike pay; and whether benefit can be refused if such information is unreasonably withheld.
§ Mr. Orme, pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 19 February 1979], gave the following information;
No. The amount of strike pay is ascertained from union officials. If a claimant alleges that he is not entitled to strike pay, he can be asked to produce confirmation of the fact.
§ Mr. Newtonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether and in what circumstances the Supplementary Benefits Commission assumes that an income-tax rebate has been made to a striker, even if it has no proof that such a rebate has been made.
§ Mr. Orme, pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 19 February 1979], gave the following information;
132Wand what were the figures for the country as a whole.
§ Mr. MoyleThe percentage change in waiting lists in each health area in the North-West region and in England as a whole for each year from 1975 to 1977, the latest complete year for which figures are available, was as follows:
An income tax refund is treated as income for supplementary benefit purposes if the employer makes, or can make, it available to the striker. In these circumstances receipt is assumed if the striker refuses to collect it or action of the strikers prevents the employer from paying it.
§ Mr. Newtonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what would have been the estimated extra cost to the Supplementary Benefits Commission in 1977 or in the latest year for which figures are available of disregarding income tax rebates in assessing supplementary benefit entitlement for strikers and their families.
§ Mr. Orme, pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 19 February 1979], gave the following information;
Information on which to base such an estimate is not available.
§ Mr. Newtonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what proportion of supplementary benefit expenditure on strikes in 1977 or in the latest year for which figures are available was in respect of rent and rates only.
§ Mr. Orme, pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 19 February 1979], gave the following information;
It is not possible to say.
133W
§ Mr. Newtonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will publish the terms of reference governing the present review team inquiry into the payment of supplementary benefit during trade disputes as well as its membership; when the report is expected to be ready; and whether he will publish it.
§ Mr. Orme, pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 19 February 1979], gave the following information:
This is part of the comprehensive review of the supplementary benefit scheme for which there are no specific terms of reference. It is being carried out, as was the first stage of the review, by a small team of officials of my Department.
I cannot say when the report will be ready. I will be considering the question of publication in due course.
§ Mr. Newtonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether, as a consequence of the Supplementary Benefits Commission contributing towards the rent and rates paid by strikers' families, any money was paid to his Department from local authorities in England and Wales under the central accounting arrangements in the financial year 1977–78 or the latest year for which figures are available; and whether he will set out the amount involved.
§ Mr. Orme, pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 19 February 1979], gave the following information:
No such money was paid.
§ Mr. Newtonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether the Supplementary Benefits Commission has the power to give heating allowances or to make discretionary payments to strikers' families; and, if so, how much money was so expended in 1977 or in the latest year for which figures are available.
§ Mr. Orme, pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 19 February 1979], gave the following information:
The answer to the first part of the question is "Yes", but in these cases the Commission restricts the normal exercise of its powers: a heating addition, for example, is paid only where the health 134W of a striker's dependant would otherwise be at risk. Information to answer the second part of the question is not available.
§ Mr. Newtonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how much of the supplementary benefit expenditure on strikers' families in 1977 was in respect of wives and how many wives benefited; how much of the same expenditure in 1977 was in respect of children; and how many children were involved.
§ Mr. Orme, pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 19 February 1979], gave the following information:
It is not possible to say.
§ Mr. Newtonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what has been the average weekly payment by way of national assistance and supplementary strikers' dependants in each year from 1970.
§ Mr. Orme, pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 19 February 1979], gave the following information:
The information is as follows:
Year and Amount £ 1970 … … … 5.96 1971 … … … 7.08 1972 … … … 7.32 1973 … … … 8.62 1974 … … … 1060 1975 … … … 10.96 1976 … … … 15.16 1977 … … … 17.53 1978 … … … 15.52
§ Mr. Newtonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will estimate the number of strikers involved in disputes since 1970 which were long enough to make them or their families eligible for supplementary benefit; and if he will estimate the number who actually received benefit.
§ Mr. Orme, pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 19 February 1979], gave the following information:
It is not possible to make the first estimate sought. Eligibility to supplementary benefit rarely arises during the first two weeks of a dispute, but thereafter it depends on the family's resources. The hon. Member may, however, like to know that, in the years 1970 to 1977, 135W 3.3 million were involved in stoppages of work lasting longer than a fortnight. In the same period there were 760,000 successful claims to benefit.
§ Mr. Newtonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether a striker who is paid monthly has his income tax rebates set against the supplementary benefit entitlement of his family for the limited period of one month; whether a striker who is paid weekly has his rebates set against the supplementary benefit entitlement of his family for the limited period of one week; and whether the same rules apply to the striker who is drawing supplementary benefit for himself alone.
§ Mr. Orme, pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 19 February 1979], gave the following information:
Yes, but a single striker does not get the £4 disregard available to a striker with dependants.