HC Deb 29 October 1984 vol 65 c840W
Mr. Hardy

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services by how much the payment of supplementary benefit to the dependants of striking miners has been reduced as a result of the implementation of the regulation which deems strike pay to have been arranged.

Mr. Newton

Section 6(1)(b) of the Social Security (No. 2) Act 1980 requires that any supplementary benefit otherwise payable for the dependants of a striker shall be reduced by a specified sum, currently £15. This deduction does not depend upon, or assume, payment of strike pay. Information about the overall reduction in benefit expenditure as a result of this provision during the current miners' dispute is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.