§ Mr. NellistTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will take steps to collect information on the number of staff in each Government Department who(a) have made applications and (b) are in receipt of (i) family credit and (ii) housing benefit and (1) are likely to receive from April or (2) are already in receipt of community charge rebate; and if he will give as much information as is already available to him.
§ Mrs. Gillian ShephardThe total number of families receiving family credit where the main earner is a civil servant is 6,000. The number of families receiving family credit where the main earner is a member of staff of the Department of Social Security or the Department of Health is 835. We have no plans to collect any more detailed information on a routine basis. The numbers within DSS/DH are known only because the cases concerned are held separately for reasons of confidentiality.
Since these considerations do not apply to housing benefit or community charge benefit, separate figures are not recorded to show the number of claims from staff in Government Departments.