§ Mr. Buchananasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what progress is being made in regard to reconciling the different attitudes of Glasgow District Council and the Scottish Special Housing Association towards the industrial disablement pension when assessing the reckonable income for rent rebate purposes.
§ Mr. William RossHousing authorities, including the Scottish Special Housing Association, are required by the statutory model rent rebate scheme to disregard the first £4 per week of any industrial disablement pension when assessing reckonable income for rent rebate purposes, and they have discretion to disregard the full amount of industrial disablement pension if they so decide. I understand that 20 authorities follow the present practice of the association in making a partial disregard, and 10 that of Glasgow District Council, which makes a full disregard, while the practice of the remainder is not yet known. The association is consulting widely with local authorities and will be reviewing its policy on pension disregards early in the New Year.