§ Mrs. Chalkerasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what steps he will take to further Her Majesty's Government's policy of combating the problems arising from cold weather for the old and poor during next winter.
§ Mr. OrmeNational insurance and supplementary benefits, and the heating additions payable to supplementary beneficiaries, are all being increased in November. An electricity discount scheme will be operated again next winter. In addition, as indicated in the replies given by my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State, Department of Energy to my hon. Friend the Member for Woolwich, East (Mr. Cartwright) on 14th July—[Vol. 935, c. 233–5]—there has been an encouraging use of the job creation programme for the insulation of local authority housing. In the autumn my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State will be launching the further phase of the good neighbour campaign, the response to which has demonstrated how willing people in the community are to put into practice their concern about issues such as this.