§ Mr. Freesonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will reintroduce studies of (a) the adequacy of supplementary rates for children and (b) his Department's treatment of maintenance paid to children.
§ Mrs. ChalkerThe Government have channelled additional help towards families with children as part of the reforms of the supplementary benefit scheme which were introduced in November 1980. These changes were made following the publication in 1978 of "Social Assistance"—the report by officials reviewing the scheme—which itself was followed by a widespread period of public consultation. The treament. of 263W maintenance payments to children was examined last year during the course of drafting the resources regulations for the reformed scheme.
In these circumstances, further studies would not add appreciably at present to existing information held.