§ Miss Richardsonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services pursuant to the answer of the right hon. Member for Daventry (Mr. Prentice) on 23 July 1979, c. 94, if he will list the recommendations of the report of the Finer committee on one-parent families which relate to the work of his Department and the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys, showing whether the recommendations have been (a) implemented, (b) under consideration or c) rejected.
§ Mr. Newton[pursuant to his reply, 16 July 1982, Vol. 27, c. 489–90]: Since July 1979 there has been clear change of status in two of the Finer committee's recommendations which relate to the work of the Department. Recommendation 120 was implemented as part of the reform of the supplementary benefit scheme in November 1980 in that the qualifying period for the long-term scale rate was reduced from two years to one for all eligible beneficiaries including lone parents. Recommendation 127, that maternity grant should be paid without contribution conditions, was implemented from 4 July 1982.
In addition, recommendation 208, which was previously under consideration, has been agreed in 389W principle. Local authority associations are devising a set of ground rules with a view to rationalising the charges for day care on a national basis.