§ Mr. Patrick Jenkinasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement on the effects of Civil Service industrial action on the payment of unemployment benefit.
§ Mr. GoldingI have been asked to reply.
During the past week some staff at 236 unemployment benefit offices and the two computer centres of the Department of Health and Social Security processing unemployment payments were on strike for varying periods. About 258,000 payments—26 per cent.—were delayed. However, most unemployment benefit offices worked normally.