§ Mr. Gordon Brownasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many benefit claimants have water rate bills that are higher than the national average; and for how many the additional amount is greater than (a) 50p, (b) £1 a week and (c) £2 a week.
§ Mr. WhitneyThe information is not available in the precise form requested. Information on the number of claimants who receive an allowance for water rates in their supplementary benefit assessment and the average amounts payable is contained in columns 1 and 2 of table 6.14 of the "Annual Statistical Enquiry 1982," a copy of which is in the Library. The table excludes cases where the allowance for water rates is paid through the housing benefit scheme. Comparable information is not available for these cases.