§ Mr. Maddenasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make arrangements for those who are engaged, part-time, as labourers on Manpower Service Commission courses, to be eligible in the same way as those employed as labourers on such courses, full-time, to be able to secure lump sum payments from his Department to pay for working clothes and boots.
§ Dr. BoysonThe Supplementary Benefit (Single Payments) Regulations provide for such payments to be made only when the claimant is starting full-time work, including full-time work on the Manpower Services Commission's community programme, but not training courses. I accept that there are arguments for amending 381W these regulations to cover part-time work as well as full-time work, but any decision to do so must depend on the availability of resources and other priorities for improvement to the supplementary benefit scheme.