§ Mr. Gordon Brownasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will identify the residual housing costs which will no longer be met in the assessment of income support under the proposals contained in paragraph 2.93 of volume 2 of the Green Paper; what are the average amounts paid out for such residual housing costs; and how many claimants are in receipt of such payments, broken down according to the normal classification claimant groups.
§ Mr. NewtonThe residual housing costs referred to in paragraph 2.93 of volume 2 of the Green Paper are water rates, recurring charges for emptying cesspits, septic tanks and the cost of materials for a chemical toilet and the allowance for repairs and insurance. Provisional information shows that in 1983 about 3 million supplementary benefit claimants received help with their water charges and that the average payment was little over £1. There is no reliable information about the numbers or average amounts of payments made for the other residual housing costs.