§ Mrs. Ren¹e Shortasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if, in formulating policy on smoking and 410W supplementary benefit is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. About 2 per cent. of invalidity beneficiaries with children were receiving supplementary benefit in November 1978, the latest date for which information is available.
It is estimated that between October 1978 and September 1979, about 1 per cent. of sickness benefit recipients with children, and an even lower proportion of invalidity beneficiaries with children, may also have been receiving FIS.