§ Mr. Foulkesasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) whether he will take steps to ensure that every pensioner who qualifies will receive the Christmas bonus by Christmas 1984;
(2) in view of the withdrawal of poster RP2/84 entitled. "Your Christmas '84 Bonus," what arrangements are being made by his Department to ensure that pensioners know how and when they will receive their Christmas bonus;
(3) what was the reason for the withdrawal of the poster RP2/84 entitled, "Your Christmas '84 Bonus";
(4) what was the cost of withdrawing the poster RP2/84 entitled, "Your Christmas '84 Bonus";
(5) how many copies of the poster RP/84 entitled, "Your Christmas '84 Bonus", were printed; and what was the cost.
§ Mr. NewtonArrangements have been made for the Post Office to pay the Christmas bonus to pensioners paid by order book, including those receiving payment on the stub of an expired book, during the week commencing 3 December. Pensioners paid annually and those paid four-weekly will also receive the bonus before Christmas. For some pensioners paid quarterly the Christmas bonus will be included with the next regular payment, which for some 20,000, people will be after Christmas.
224WThe payment arrangements have been publicised by means of advertisements in national daily and Sunday newspapers during last week. It was decided not to display the usual poster because it did not accurately reflect the emergency arrangements which were necessary because of the industrial dispute at Newcastle. The poster was printed in two sizes—27,025 in A4 and 9,400 in A3 at a total cost of £2,600 including VAT. The cost of issuing instructions not to display it was negligible.