§ Mr. KnapmanTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will announce how housing benefit transitional payments will be treated in April.
§ Mr. BurtWe have always made it clear that housing benefit transitional payments, which were introduced in 1988, will be reduced as increases in other benefits make them less necessary. We have therefore decided on a flat rate reduction of £1.00 per week in these payments for the year from April 1994. As a result, the vast majority of recipients will still gain overall in cash terms from the April uprating of other social security benefits.
§ Ms HarmanTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what estimate he has made of the additional amounts payable in housing benefit resulting from the reductions in planned spending under the heading "DOE Housing" in table 5B.3 of the "Financial Statement and Budget Report 1994–95".
§ Mr. Burt[holding answer 17 December 1993]: Expenditure on housing benefit is influenced by a wide range of factors not all in the control of the Government. Owing to this, no estimate has been made of the effect on housing benefit expenditure arising specifically from the changes in planned spending under the heading "DOE Housing" in tale 5B.3 of the Financial Statement and Budget Report 1994–95, although there is expected to be an overall reduction in housing provision of £250 million and £100 million in the years 1994, 1995 and 1996.