§ 29. Mr. Bruce-Gardyneasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what plans he has to terminate automatic up-rating of supplementary benefit in order 582W to re-establish differentials between post-tax earnings from employment and untaxed income from supplementary benefit.
§ Mr. PrenticeWhile we are actively studying the question of incentives, my right hon. Friend has no plans to alter the basis of supplementary benefit up-ratings other than those set out in paragraphs 14 to 16 of Cmnd. 7773.
§ 37. Mr. Mellorasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the increase in the number of people dependent on supplementary benefit between December 1973 and December 1978.
§ Mrs. ChalkerI refer my hon. Friend to my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Ripon (Dr. Hampson) earlier today.
§ 40. Mr. Cryerasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many people were estimated not to have claimed supplementary benefit to which they were entitled to the most recent practicable date in the current year.
§ Mrs. ChalkerIt is not practicable to produce such estimates for any year which is still current. The latest information is contained in chapter 12 of the Supplementary Benefits Commission report for 1978. I refer the hon. Member to my right hon. Friend's reply to the hon. Member for Walsall, North (Mr. Winnick) on 13 November 1979.—[Vol. 973. c.565–6.]