§ Mr. Chris SmithTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what estimate he has made of the effect on revenues in(a) 1996–97 and (b) 1997–98 of the freeze in earnings disregards for housing benefit, council tax benefit, invalid care allowance, unemployment benefit (daily rate) and income support claims; how many claimants (i) of each benefit and (ii) in total will be affected by the freeze; what evidence he has of the effect on work incentives of such a freeze; and if he will make a statement. [8514]
§ Mr. Roger EvansNone. The level of earnings disregards and thresholds are kept under review but it has never been the practice to uprate them on an annual basis.