Mr. A. J. Murphy, Newbury

HC Deb 24 January 1978 vol 942 cc538-9W

Mr. Arthur Lewis

asked the Secretary of State for the Social Services why, in view of the fact that full details of all matters pertaining to Mr. A. J. Murphy of Newbury being supplied with an alarm clock to get up in the morning were published in the Press, he marked his letter of 10th January 1978 to the hon. Member for Newham, North-West on this subject as "in confidence"; and what matters contained therein were not, and are not, public knowledge.

Mr. Orme

It is not normally the policy to publish details of a particular claimant's circumstances without his consent, even if some information has already appeared in the Press.