§ Mr. StrangTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his estimate of the number of claims for income support which will be made in the current year; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. ClayTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how much full uprating in 1989–90 of the illustrative rates of income support personal allowances, as published in the technical annex of the White Paper on the reform of social security, in line with the retail price index less housing in 1988–89, would cost.
§ Mr. Peter Lloyd[holding answer 7 November 1988]: Increasing the illustrative rates of the income support personal allowances, as published in the technical annex of the White Paper, in line with the retail price index less housing, results in rates all of which are less than those already announced for April 1989. If we had adopted that approach there would have been a saving not a cost.