Mr. Jim Callaghanasked the Secretary of State for Social Services when he will 450W at the latest available date in each grade from administrative trainee upwards in his Department.
§ Mr. Mason:The information asked for as at 1st October 1978 is as follows:
be able to publish the views of the supplementary benefits review team on the 18 items listed as needing further study in annex 1 of "Social Assistance:a review of the supplementary benefits scheme in Great Britain".
§ Mr. Orme:Work is proceeding on the subsidiary items listed for study in the second stage of the supplementary benefits review. When this work is completed, we shall be consulting those groups and organisations which have a direct interest and we shall also consider whether to publish two further reports.
§ Mr. Kenneth Clarkeasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what level of supplementary benefits earnings disregard for those not required to register to work would be required to restore the level to its real value in 1966; and how this compares with the existing level.
§ Mr. Orme:The amount needed would be £6.57. The existing level is £6 for single parents and £4 for others not required to register for work.
§ Mr. Reidasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what steps he has taken to introduce a written notice of assessment for supplementary benefit claimants showing how the benefit is calculated or why it is refused and what estimate he makes of the staff and cost needed for such a scheme.
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§ Mr. Peter Bottomleyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish a breakdown of the children's supplementary benefit scales, showing how much is allowed at each age to meet the costs of food, heating, laundry, clothing, personal needs, schooling and so forth.
§ Mr. Orme:As indicated in paragraph 27 "Low Incomes"—supplementary benefit administration paper No. 6–the supplementary benefit scale rates are not fixed on the basis of itemised goods or services which claimants are intended to be able to purchase. The arguments for and against such an approach are discussed in chapter 5 of "Social Assistance", the report of the review of the supplementary benefits scheme.
§ Mr. Peter Bottomleyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services further to his reply to the hon. Member for Woolwich, West,Official Report, 1st August, columns 271–6, if he will now show the supplementary benefit rates used to calculate the numbers of pensioners, single householders, childless couples and families with dependent children, living at less than 140 per cent. of their supplementary benefit entitlement levels, in both 1974 and 1976.
§ Mr. Orme:The scale rates in force at the end of each year are as detailed in table 34.01 of Social Security Statistics. Income data received earlier in the year were adjusted to give the likely end-of-year position.