§ Mr. Winnickasked the Secretary of State for Social Services why those who had been employed by Orton and Smith, Ltd. Willenhall, West Midlands have been refused both unemployment and supplementary benefit; and what is the latest position arising from representations which have been made to his local offices on this matter.
§ Mr. Newton:Benefit has not been payable because both the insurance officer—and, on appeal, the tribunal—and the supplementary benefit officer have so decided, on the basis that the stoppage of work at Orton and Smith, Ltd. is due to a trade dispute. That stoppage has now ceased, and the independent adjudicating authorities will therefore be reconsidering the position.
§ Mr. David Youngasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many people in Bolton, currently receiving welfare benefits, will lose that right to benefit when the unified housing benefit scheme is fully introduced; if, in the absence of exact figures, he will give the best estimate ; and if he will make a statement.
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§ Mr. Rossi:I regret that information for Bolton is not available. The most recent estimate is that 3 per cent. of supplementary benefit householders in Great Britain will cease to be entitled to supplementary benefit when housing benefit is introduced. There were 17,600 supplementary benefit householders in Bolton in April 1982 and if the national percentage were applicable to Bolton about 530 of them would no longer receive supplementary benefit. Instead, they will be entitled to housing benefit and will receive as much or more in weekly benefit as they did under the current supplementary benefit scheme.