§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Secretary of State for Social Services, in view of the fact that approximately £7.25 million per week is being paid out in supplementary assistance to non-British citizens who land in the United Kingdom and claim welfare benefits and that some of this money is being sent back to their countries of 612W origins to be banked to enable them to return for holidays, what action he proposes to take to stop these abuses of social welfare schemes.
§ Mr. OrmeIt is not an abuse for non-British citizens in this country to claim supplementary benefit to which they have entitlement under the Supplementary Benefit Act 1966, and in general beneficiaries are left to manage their income in the way which suits them best. As my hon. Friend knows, separate records are not kept of such payments, but they cannot possibly amount to anything like £7.25 million per week.