§ Mr. Frank Fieldasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many times in the last 20 years the number of degree days in a week which are considered to indicate exceptionally severe weather have exceeded the prescribed figures for each of the 15 weather stations.
§ Dr. BoysonThe Chief Supplementary Benefit Officer is now using information from 17 weather stations in Great Britain to decide whether to notify local offices that, in his view, the condition in regulation 26 of the Supplementary506W Benefit (Single Payment) Regulations, that there has been a period of exceptionally severe weather, has been satisfied.
The figures requested are as follows:
Weather station Number of weeks in the last 20 years in which the trigger level has been reached Heathrow 3 Bournemouth 3 Plymouth 3 Bristol 3 Birmingham 4 Manchester 3 Carlisle 4 Boulmer* 2 Leeming 5 Finningley 5 Honnington* 3 Glasgow 5 Leuchars 3 Aberdeen 2 Aberporth 4 Wick 5 Stornoway 2 * The figures relate to the 20 calendar years 1964–1983 where available but no data is available for Boulmer before 1975, for Honnington before 1969 or for Leeming before 1965.
§ Mr. Frank Fieldasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many weeks in the winter of 1983–84 have been declared weeks of exceptionally severe weather, and in which regions.
§ Dr. BoysonI refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Dundee, East (Mr. Wilson) on 2 February [Vol. 53, c.341.]