§ Mr. Squireasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what would be the likely impact on expenditure on rent rebates and allowances and rate rebates if the real value of supplementary benefit were cut by 5 per cent. in 1981–82, assuming that the needs allowances for rebates were uprated in line with inflation.
§ Mr. Geoffrey FinsbergI have been asked to reply. A number of speculative assumptions and subsequently costly calculations would have to be made to provide an estimated figure. I consider that the cost of providing an estimate would be too great to justify undertaking the work.
§ Mr. Squireasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the extra expenditure on rent rebates and allowances and rate rebates which is likely to result from the 5 per cent. abatement in national insurance benefits in 1980–81.
§ Mr. Geoffrey FinsbergI have been asked to reply. The abatement in the uprating of certain national insurance benefits will lead to extra expenditure of probably under £1 million on rent rebates and allowances and rate rebates in 1980–81.