§ Mrs. Beckettasked the Secretary of State for Social Services, pursuant to the answer of 16 April, Official Report, column 160, when he intends to lay regulations amending the supplementary benefit rules so as to allow payment to strikers for funeral expenses.
§ Mr. NewtonWe expect to make the necessary amendment to the Supplementary Benefit (Claims and Payments) Regulations 1981 within the next few weeks; and at the same time we shall take the opportunity to amend the regulations to provide for the back-dating of claims to supplementary benefit to be related to entitlement to statutory sick pay, in accordance with the undertaking given at Committee stage of the Social Security Bill in Standing Committee E on 17 January 1985, at column 231.