§ Mr. Deakinsasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if the rate support grant is to be reduced by an amount equal to the 20 per cent. rates contribution proposed to be made by recipients of social security benefits.
§ Mrs. RumboldThe proposal that all householders who are recipients of social security benefits shoÙuld pay a minimum contribution to their rates bill is only one of a number of changes to housing benefits put forward in the White Paper "Reform of Social Security: Programme for Action" (Cmnd. 9691). Under the reformed housing benefit scheme, the majority of local authorities' benefit costs will continue to be met by direct subsidy outside the rate support grant, with a proportion of the remainder 21W being supported by rate support grant. The aggregate of rate support grant will need to be adjusted to take account of the White Paper proposals but at present it is not possible to say by how much.