§ Mr. Alfred Morrisasked the Paymaster General if, in the light of the letter to him dated 7 November from the Royal Association for Disability and Rehabilitation (RADAR), he has anything to add to his reply, of 17 November, Official Report, column 66, regarding the effect on disabled people of the new guidelines on the availability for work test; why his earlier answer made no mention of the letter from RADAR; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Kenneth Clarke[pursuant to his reply, 24 November 1986]: I confirm the information I gave in my reply of 17 November relating to disabled claimants. The new procedures will improve the arrangements whereby the sick, the handicapped and those who care for them can be directed to claiming the correct benefits. Although I said I had received no representations on the effect of the new guidelines on disabled people, this did not take account of the letter to me from RADAR. This did raise a point about eligibility for benefit and was provoked by our new arrangements, although I believe it was based on a mistaken understanding of the long-established relationship between invalidity benefit and unemployment benefit. I apologise for my failure to refer to this letter, to which I shall be replying shortly.