§ Dr. John A. Cunninghamasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she is aware of the increasing number of students who are claiming supplementary benefit during vacations; and if she will make a statement.
§ Mrs. CastleFigures released last week by the Department of Employment show that in Great Britain on 14th July 92,000 adult students on vacation were registered for employment and a substantial number of these will be claiming supplementary benefit. The number of students claiming supplementary benefit in the vacations has increased very rapidly in the last two or three years and is placing a great strain on local social security, unemployment benefit and employment offices, particularly in the short vacations.
This is a matter which needs careful consideration and an inter-departmental working party has been set up to examine urgently the whole question of students' claims for unemployment and supplementary benefit.