HC Deb 12 November 1974 vol 881 cc66-7W
Mr. Graham

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she will take steps to extend the right to claim supplementary benefits without registering for work to Cypriot students in Great Britain on other than first degree courses.

Mr. Alec Jones

My right hon. Friend has no plans to do so. As my hon. Friend knows, the Supplementary Benefits Commission, whose statutory responsibility this is, has already agreed exceptionally to waive the requirement to register for work so that supplementary benefit can be paid during term-time to Cypriot students on first degree courses who have been deprived of their normal funds for maintenance. But Section 9 of the Supplementary Benefit Act 1966 precludes payment of benefit to people receiving full-time instruction of a kind given in schools.