§ Mr. Blairasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many persons have received exceptionally severe weather payments in the northern region over the last month in each of the categories entitled to such payments; and what was the amount of money paid to each category.
§ Mr. MajorInformation is not available in the form requested. However, statistics are being maintained on the total number of payments made, the amount of those payments and the number of refusals and will be published in due course.
§ Mr. Blairasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how much has been spent by his Department on advertising the availability of exceptionally severe weather payments in (a) the northern region and (b) the whole of the United Kingdom.
§ Mr. MajorAdvertisements were placed in the national press for two weeks ending on Saturday 24 January 1987 and for five days on all 45 local commercial radio stations. The total cost was £400,000. £19,971 was spent on local radio advertising in the social security north-east and north-west regions. All local offices dealing with supplementary benefit were supplied with advertisements for placing in local newspapers.
§ Mr. Blairasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will give an estimate of the numbers of persons in the northern region in each category of those entitled to exceptionally severe weather payments.
§ Mr. MajorThe information requested is not available, and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.