§ Mr. Skinnerasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will seek powers to make necessitous clothing grants to those schoolchildren who are now deprived of such grants as a result of the cuts made by local education authorities.
§ Mr. DeanNo. The Supplementary Benefits Commission already have discretionary power to make lump-sum payments to cover essential needs, and will give help where the child of a supplementary beneficiary would otherwise go short of necessary clothing.