HC Deb 17 June 1988 vol 135 cc364-5W
Ms. Ruddock

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services how many people claiming only housing benefit in (a) Lewisham, (b) London and (c) Britain have submitted a claim for a grant towards funeral expenses in the last year.

Mr. Portillo

The numbers of people receiving only housing benefit who submitted a claim for a social fund funeral payment from 6 April 1987 to 10 April 1988 are as follows:

Number
(a) Lewisham1 31
(b) London 848
(c) Great Britain 10,402
1 The Lewisham, Deptford constituency is covered by the Department's local offices at Greenwich Park, Lewisham and Peckham, although their boundaries are not conterminous with those of the constituency.