§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will take steps to amend the automatic payment of supplementary benefits to any person who claims poverty on landing in Great Britatin to payment only where one year's national insurance contribution or one year's residence and payments of taxation can be proved.
§ Mr. OrmePayment of supplementary benefit is by no means automatic for such people. It is not payable to those such as students and visitors who are admitted for a limited period strictly on the basis that they will be self-supporting. Those who are admitted for permanent settlement qualify for benefit on the same terms as anyone else. So do foreign nationals admitted temporarily to take or look for work, but they are subject to special checks to safeguard public funds. We have no plans to alter these arrangements.