§ Mr. Kenneth Clarkeasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether she will list all the recommendations of the Finer Committee Report on One-Parent Families that have so far been implemented by her Department or the Supplementary Benefits Commission and all those that she has committed the Government to implement in the future with commencement dates for the changes where announced.
§ Mrs. CastleAs I explained in my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Walsall, South (Mr. George) on 2nd July —[Vol. 876, c.91–3.]—the recommendations in the committee's report cover a wide range of problems affecting one-parent families involving both local authorities and a number of Government Departments. Of the recommendations for which I am responsible the following is the information requested; the numbers 338W refer to the recommendation number in part 9 of the report:
Recommendations implemented
- (a) By the Supplementary Benefits Commission Recommendations 119, 160, 170, 196.
- (b) By the Department of Health and Social Security
Recommendation 201 (at central Government level) 228, 229, 230.
Recommendations for which there is a Commitment to implement in the future
(a) By the Supplementary benefits Commission
- 121 —disregards to be increased as soon as operationally possible after the supplementary benefit uprating in April 1975.
- 122—waiving the requirement that lone fathers should register for work will be implemented shortly.
(b) By the Department of Health and Social Security
198, 200, 202, 207—These endorse and develop existing child care policies.
- 56—Statistics relating to one-parent families receiving supplementary benefit to be published in Social Security Statistics early next year.
- 126—the Government's child allowance scheme will be implemented as soon as resources and the practicalities of administration allow.