§ Mr. Ovendenasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will ask the National Insurance Advisory Committee to investigate the working of the overlapping benefits rule and to make recommendations.
§ Mr. OrmeMy right hon. Friend has no such plans at the moment. The National Insurance Advisory Committee has reported on overlapping benefits regulations on eight occasions since 1948, most recently in 1973. On each occasion it accepted the principle that not more than one social insurance benefit or pension should be paid to an individual at one time.