§ Mr. Cohenasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what reply he had made concerning representations by CIPFA on the proposed housing benefit reorganisation.
Mr. LyelINone. CIPFA has made representations on the draft housing benefit regulations and on aspects of future subsidy arrangements for the new scheme. The Secretary of State is required formally to consult only the local authority associations but we have welcomed the many comments and suggestions received informally from CIPFA and other organisations. We are considering them carefully in the context of finalising the details of the new scheme.
§ Mr. Meacherasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what groups within the 1979 family expenditure survey were used to calculate the average expenditure on food, referred to in clause 1736 of the "Guidelines for Supplementary Benefit Officers and Procedural Instructions — Supplementary Benefits" (S Manual) in the calculation of the extra costs of special diets.
§ Mr. MajorI refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Foyle (Mr. Hume) on 23 March at columns77–78.
§ Mr. McCrindleasked the Secretary of State for Social Services when he proposed to lay regulations for the 1988 housing benefit reforms.
§ Mr. Gordon Brownasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many persons previously registering as unemployed and claiming unemployment or supplementary benefit have, in the last 12 months been transferred to sickness benefit claims.
§ Mr. Lyell[pursuant to his reply, 9 April 1987]: The information is not available in the form requested. The latest year for which figures are available is the year ending 30 March 1985. There were 236,000 spells of sickness starting in that year for which sickness benefit was claimed by people who had previously been unemployed.