§ 26. Mr. Barronasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he has any plans to alter the payment of supplementary benefits paid to families of people deemed on strike.
§ Mr. NewtonThe trade dispute provisions of the supplementary benefit scheme apply to any person who is without employment because of a stoppage of work due to a trade dispute at his place of employment, unless he can show that he is not participating in, or directly interested in, the dispute. Whether these provisions apply in a particular case is a question of fact to be decided by the independent adjudicating authorities. There is no question of people being deemed to be on strike.
The Government have at present no plans to change these rules, or the regulations which lay down what is payable to persons affected, except to amend the regulations to allow payments for funeral expenses. The hon. Member will know that extra-statutory payments are being made for such expenses pending this amendment.