§ Mr. RedmondTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many households in the Doncaster area are having weekly deductions made from their income support for(a) electricity and (b) gas of (i) under £2 per week and (ii) in each £1 band above £2 per week up to £40 per week.
§ Mr. BurtThe administration of income support is a matter for Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member with such information as is available.
777WLetter from Michael Bichard to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 29 March 1994:
The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many households in the Doncaster area are having weekly deductions made from their income support for (a) electricity and (b) gas of (i) £2 per week and (ii) in each £1 band above £2 per week up to £40 per week.The full range of information requested is not readily available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost. This is because figures are not routinely collected on a local basis and to obtain the full range of information requested would require a physical examination of all cases with deductions for electricity and gas in the Doncaster area.However, the information which is available for the Doncaster area, is as follows:
Number Cases with deductions for electricity 374 Cases with deductions for gas 876 This information has been collected by the Doncaster District Office whose area boundary coincides with that of the Doncaster area. No further breakdown is available.
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