§ Mr. Craigenasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will introduce a system of fuel allowances providing for geographical variations in fuel prices as well as containing a flat-rate element.
§ Mrs. ChalkerNo. The supplementary benefit heating additions to which I take it the hon. Member refers are intended to give extra help towards heating costs to certain categories of claimants—the elderly, the disabled and those in poor housing or with young children—whose heating needs tend to be high. The actual amount such claimants spend on heating may vary very considerably, depending for instance on the type of accommodation, the kind of heating system, and the fuel used, as well as on the geographical area in which they live. To attempt to reflect such differences in heating additions would unreasonably complicate a system we have been striving to simplify.