§ 88. Ms. Clare Shortasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is his best available estimate of the likely reduction in the numbers registered as unemployed as a consequence of clause 41 of the Social Security Bill.
§ Mr. NewtonAt present some claimants who are disqualified from receiving unemployment benefit under section 20(1) of the Social Security Act 1975 continue to sign on as unemployed, although they are not entitled to supplementary benefit or credits. As a consequence of clause 41 (now clause 42) of the Social Security Bill, a number of these may decide not to sign on during the period of disqualification and will not therefore appear in the count of unemployed. Some 2,000 to 3,000 might cease to do so.