§ Mr. Frank Fieldasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will update the answer given on statutory sick pay, 27 April 1984, Official Report, columns 627–8.
§ Mr. MajorThe updated information is presented in the table. From September 1984 information can be supplied only on a quarterly rather than a four-weekly basis because of an organisational change within the Department. Additionally, in looking at these figures, it must be appreciated that from September 1984 the Department's inspectors have been concentrating their visiting upon employers who are considered to be at risk. Consequently the errors shown are not representative of employers in general but rather of those who are most likely to make mistakes.
In order that the Department can gauge the level of errors made by employers in general, it is intended that a random selection of employers will be visited towards the end of 1986.
§ Mr. NewtonClaimants who pay their fuel bills before claiming an exceptionally severe weather payment are not eligible for help under regulation 26 of the Single Payments Regulations 1981, although they may in certain circumstances be eligible for help under regulation 28. A copy of the relevant regulations, and of the Chief Adjudication Officer's revised guidance issued on 6 December 1985, is in the Library.