§ Mrs. GormanTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate the extra housing benefit paid to council tenants in Hackney during the operation of that borough's arrears-to-rents scheme.
Miss Widdecombe: I refer my hon. Friend to my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Waveney (Mr. Porter) on 7 February at column 324. We do not have the information to provide an estimate of the amount of housing benefit that may have already been paid.