§ Mr. Skinnerasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what progress he has made regarding proposals to local housing authorities over payment by his Department of tent allowances above the present maxima to recipients of supplementary allowances in any high council rent areas.
§ Mr. DeanI assume the hon. Member has in mind the agreement about local authority rents which my right hon. Friend announced on 27th October, 1970 in reply to a Question from my hon. Friend the Member for Buckingham (Mr. Benyon). Local authority rents are now being met by the Supplementary Benefits Commission to the extent provided by the agreement, arrears being paid where appropriate, except in a few isolated cases where details of the rents payable are still being worked out with the local authority. In these cases the claimants concerned are not being pressed to pay more than the commission is allowing.—[Vol. 805, c.39–40.]