§ Mr. Nicholas Wintertonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how much money is currently being paid weekly in unemployment benefit; and whether he is satisfied that no overpayments have been made as a result of industrial action by civil servants.
§ Mrs. ChalkerOn the best available estimate, current expenditure on unemployment benefit is of the order of £36 million a week. Some overpayments are inevitable as a result of the operation of emergency benefit procedures, but these procedures are designed to minimise the risk of errors as far as is practicable in the circumstances.