§ Mr. Bruce-Gardyneasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what has been the cost to date to public funds of supplementary benefits to the families of those engaged in the dock strike and of administrative arrangements necessitated thereby; what estimate he has made of the weekly cost of such benefits and administrative arrangements during the duration of the strike; and what steps he intends to take to ensure that benefits are not paid to the families of strikers who engage in alternative employment during the course of the strike.
§ Mr. DeanSave in isolated cases supplementary benefit will not be payable to the dependants of men involved in the dock strike until their last wages are exhausted by about 30th July. It is not possible to estimate reliably the amount of benefit which will be paid during the strike as the availability of strike pay is likely to reduce both the average weekly payment made to strikers—which averaged £6 per week in 1969—and the number of persons claiming benefit. The administrative expenses will depend on how many claims are made. Strikers are required to make signed declarations of all sources of income; these are checked as far as possible and anyone making false statements may be prosecuted.
§ Mr. Bruce-Gardyneasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what estimate he has made of the average net weekly incomes of the families of those involved in the dock strike, including strike pay, supplementary benefits, and tax refunds.
§ Mr. DeanI regret that it is impossible to give any estimate of the income of strikers since the dock strike began.288W Strike pay is, I understand, at the rate of £5 a week for members of the Transport and General Workers Union; tax refunds will vary according to the man's previous earnings and tax allowances; and, as I said in my earlier reply to my hon. Friend, supplementary benefit will not normally be payable to those who become entitled to it, until about 30th July.