§ Mr. Corbynasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list the amount of housing benefit owed by his Department on 31 December 1985 to the local authorities of Islington, Camden, Hackney, Sheffield and Bristol; and if he will give comparable figures for the same dates in 1983 and 1984.
§ Mr. MajorThe Department pays subsidy to local authorities on their benefit and administration costs under the housing benefits scheme on the basis of final audited claims for each financial year. Payments on account of subsidy are made each month during the year on the basis290W of authorities' estimates of expenditure. No payments of subsidy were owed by the Department to any of the authorities mentioned on 31 December 1983, 1984 or 1985. Payments on account had also been made in the normal way.