§ Mr. Ralph Howellasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many miners' families received supplementary benefit during 1972; and how this figure compares with the number of miners on strike.
§ Mr. DeanOf the 308,500 people directly involved in the mining dispute in January and February, 1972, 138,921 successfully claimed supplementary benefit for their families.
§ Mr. Ralph Howellasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many builders' families received supplementary benefit during 1972; and how this figure compares with the number of building workers on strike.
250W
§ Mr. DeanMore than 147,100 people are provisionally estimated to have been directly involved in the building dispute between June and September this year. Of this number, 37,326 successfully claimed supplementary benefit for their families.
§ Mr. Ralph Howellasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what steps he has taken to satisfy himself that the £5,523,480 paid in supplementary benefits to miners and their dependants during the miners' strike was paid wholly to persons in genuine need.
§ Mr. DeanSupplementary benefit is payable to any person of 16 years and over in Great Britain whose resources are insufficient to meet his requirements.
During the coal miners' strike, normal steps were taken, in accordance with the Supplementary Benefits Commission's rules, to ensure that payments were made only to persons satisfying this criterion. Strikers themselves are not entitled to supplementary benefit for their own requirements, and discretionary payments to single strikers were made only on proof of urgent need.