§ Mr. BoyesTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the percentage loss in income in the Houghton and Washington area due to housing benefit reductions for those households earning(a) £60 per week, (b) £80 per week and (c) £150 per week.
§ Mr. PortilloI regret that the information is not available.
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§ Sir Brandon Rhys WilliamsTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Services, further to his reply to the hon. Member for Kensington,Official Report, 4 February, columns 737–42, and to the figures for the lone parent earning £60 per week in table 'D', whether one-parent benefit is to be excluded from set income for the new housing benefit calculation; and what rate of lone parent premium was used for his calculations.
§ Mr. ScottI regret my reply given to my hon. Friend on 4 February at columns737–42 should be amended as follows: Table D showing the new system from April 1988 for a single person with gross weekly earnings of £60 and children aged 4 and 6 gross should indicate £81.95 in net weekly spending power with no rent or rate rebates.
One parent benefit is taken into account for calculating housing benefit. The lone-parent premium used was £8.60.