§ Mr. John EvansTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what steps he has taken to ensure that adequate resources have been provided to meet the needs of claimants in St. Helens with regard to the social fund allocation for his Department's office in St. Helens over the next two years.
§ Mr. PortilloThe national social fund budget for 1988–89 is £203 million. This is broadly comparable to single payment expenditure in 1987–88. A total of £201 million has been allocated to local offices partly on the basis of past single payment expenditure and partly on the basis of caseload. A note explaining the allocation formula is in the Library. There is a central contingency reserve of £2 million to meet unforeseen and unforeseeable demands. Allocations for future years have not yet been decided.