§ Mr. Andrew F. Bennettasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many (a) mothers, and (b) pregnant women in mother and baby homes are receiving supplementary benefit (i) at the rate paid to boarders under regulation 9 of the Supplementary Benefit (Requirements Regulations), (ii) at the rate paid to those in residential accommodation under paragraph 1 of schedule 2 to those regulations and (iii) at any other rate; and in each case what determines the rate of benefit which is paid.
§ Mrs. ChalkerI regret that these figures are not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Women in local authority mother and baby homes, or sponsored by local authorities in other homes, are assessed under paragraph 1 of schedule 2 of the Supplementary Benefit (Requirements) Regulations 1980.
Those in private, voluntary or charitable homes, not sponsored by local authorities, are assessed under regulation 9 of the Requirements Regulations as boarders. Some voluntary organisations provide long-term accommodation for mothers and babies, for example, in self-catering flatlets. Women in such accommodation are assessed under regulation 5 part iv of the Requirements Regulations.