§ Mr. Freudasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many home helps are currently employed in Cambridgeshire; what is the average number of hours worked; and what were the equivalent figures in May 1979.
§ Mr. NewtonThe followng information is based upon staff returns to DHSS—of which the return for September 1982 is the latest available—and on figures of hours of service provided in the tables of personal social services statistics published annually by the Chartered Institute for Public Finance and Accountancy. Information for May 1979 is not available.
Number of home helps employed by Cambridgeshire County Council September 1979 September 1982 Whole time staff 4 16 Part time staff 940 982 Total 944 998 Source: DHSS.
138W
Average number of hours of service provided per week by each home help 1979–80 1982–83 15.15 *16.36 Source: CIPFA. * Estimated figure for the current year. increases in the rates of such non-dependent deductions in November 1982; what will be the further cash and percentage increases in April 1983; and what the average loss which will be sustained by such households as from April 1983.
§ Mr. RossiInformation on the number of households currently in receipt of a rent rebate or allowance or a rate rebate, which have non-dependents living with them, is not available, but I wrote to the hon. Member for Birmingham, Perry Barr (Mr. Rooker) on 16 December giving estimates of the numbers of non-dependents affected by these changes. A copy of the letter was placed in the Library. The rates of non-dependent deductions under housing benefit have been brought into line with those applicable to supplementary benefit; the cash and percentage increases are as follows: