§ Mr. Lesterasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish in the Official Report a table showing the number of supplementary beneficiaries having weekly deductions for each fuel — gas and electricity—at amounts of £1 per week and upwards in £1 bands or any other suitable measure.
§ Dr. BoysonThe information requested requires a special analysis of data obtained from the 1983 annual statistical inquiry. I will write to my hon. Friend when the figures have been obtained.
§ Mr. Lesterasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the number of supplementary beneficiaries on the fuel direct scheme for gas and electricity in each quarter of the last three years.
§ Dr. BoysonThe only information which is available comes from the annual statistical inquiry carried out in December each year. The annual figures for the last three years are as follows:
Electricity Gas December 1980 64,000 30,000 December 1981 96,000 47,000 December 1982 120,000 69,000 Note: Figures rounded to the nearest thousand.
Source: Annual statistical inquiries.
§ Mr. Craigenasked the Secretary of State for Social Services, pursuant to his reply of 22 July 1983 to the hon. Member for Glasgow, Maryhill, what action he is taking to reduce the average waiting time for supplementary benefit claimants awaiting a visiting officer.
§ Mr. NewtonThe main factors causing the increase in waiting time—take-up campaigns and industrial action — are largely outside the Department's control. Nevertheless, we make ever effort to persuade local authorities to launch their campaigns in manageable stages and to time them to avoid the busiest periods in our local offices. We are also clearing the backlog of visits caused by the industrial dispute in our Birmingham and Oxford offices.
§ Mr. Lesterasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if copies of the joint statement of intent agreed between his Department and the fuel authorities on fuel direct arrangements are available from local and regional office of his Department and, if not, if he will take steps to make them available from his Department's offices, citizens advice bureaux and other advice agencies.
§ Dr. BoysonThe joint statement of intent between the Department and the fuel authorities on the operation of the fuel direct scheme is already published as an appendix 667W both to the supplementary benefits handbook, which is widely used by advice agencies, and to the recently published S manual of local office procedural instructions which is available for viewing in local DHSS offices.