§ Mr. Ralph Howellasked the Secretary of State for Social Services, further to his reply to the hon. Member for Wallasey (Mrs. Chalker), if he will include supplementary benefits in the list of health and other social security benefits covered or not covered by reciprocal agreements between each EEC and other country and the United Kingdom.
§ Mr. OrmeAs a social assistance benefit, British supplementary benefit is not covered by the EEC Regulations on Social Security for migrant workers nor330W by any bilateral agreement on health or social security.
All the EEC countries, Greece, Iceland, Malta, Norway and Sweden have ratified the European Convention on Social and Medical Assistance of the Council of Europe under which nationals of any of those countries, lawfully present in another, are entitled to claim the local social assistance benefit on conditions similar to those applying to local residents.