§ Mr. Brothertonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services, in the light of the proposals in the Social Security (No. 2) Bill to reduce the payment of supplementary benefit to strikers, what plans he has to change the practice of operating special strike centres during industrial disputes to facilitate the payment of those benefits.
§ Mr. PrenticeThe Department's practice is, wherever possible, to handle claims from persons involved in industrial disputes at the appropriate local office(s). Special centres are opened only when local offices are not likely to be able to process these claims without delaying their other work and inconveniencing claimants not involved in the dispute.
The proposals in the Social Security (No. 2) Bill are not of a nature to affect this practice.