§ Mr. Frank FieldTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will place a copy in the Library of the new instructions to local offices on(a) assessing absent parents' ability to pay maintenance and (b) interviewing lone parents about the identity of the absent father.
§ Mrs. Gillian ShephardLocal office instructions covering the assessment of benefit and the related adjudication guidance from the office of the chief adjudication officer are published. However, it is not our practice to publish local office operational instructions because to do so would risk increased and unnecessary abuse of the benefits system.