§ Dr. McDonaldasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what would be the net cost of introducing a taxable home responsibility benefit as recommended by the Meads committee for all families with children in the care of severely disabled relatives at (a) the rate of the invalid care allowance, (b) the rate of the single person's unemployment benefit and (c) the rate of single person's retirement pension at 1979–80 benefit rates.
§ Mrs. Chalker,pursuant to her reply [Official Report, 25 July 1979; Vol. 971. c.319]gave the following answer:
In the absence of agreed definitions of the categories of people involved and lacking details of the full nature of the home responsibility benefit and of its inter-action with social security benefits, it is not possible to estimate the cost.