§ Mr. Andrew Smithasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what were the average expenses claimed by single parents doing part-time jobs whilst claiming supplementary benefit, including child care and transport expenses, in the most recent year for which figures are available.
§ Mr. PortilloI regret that information is not collected about supplementary benefit claimant's work-related expenses. Some analysis of lone parents' work expenses is contained in the report of a study1 of the tapered earnings disregard for lone parents, which was commissioned by the Department and carried out by the social policy research unit of the university of York in 1982. A copy of the report is in the Library.
1 Lone Mothers, Paid Work and Social Security: Occasional Paper on Social Administration 77.
§ Ms. Abbottasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many lone parents are currently affected by the requirement in the supplementary benefit regulations that they must register as available for full-time work once all their children reach the age of 16 years, whether or not those children are still at school; and if he will supply this information in respect of (a) London north region, (b) London south region and (c) England and Wales as a whole.
§ Mr. PortilloI regret that the information requested is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.