§ Lord Hyltonasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether the provisions of the new social fund apply to Northern Ireland and if so from what date, and whether the Payment for Debt (Emergency Provisions) Act 1971 will govern social fund repayments.
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Northern Ireland Office (Lord Lyell)There is a separate social fund for Northern Ireland, the second stage of which came into operation on 11th April 1988 as in the rest of the United Kingdom.
Recovery of social fund loans will generally be by deduction from benefit under Article 34(6) of the Social Security (Northern Ireland) Order 1986. In determining the rate of repayment, social fund officers are required to have regard to any deductions being made under the Payments for Debt (Emergency Provisions) Act (Northern Ireland) 1971.