§ Mr. BurstowTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will lay the necessary regulations to amend the standard rate for income support mortgage interest payments. [117038]
§ Mr. BayleyRegulations were laid before Parliament on 24 March 2000.
§ Mr. BurstowTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how much it would have cost his Department if he had amended the standard rate for paying mortgage interest in January when the January rate of 6.29 per cent. was more than the 0.25 per cent. point change required to trigger a change. [117028]
§ Mr. BayleyThe Office for National Statistics informed the Department on 8 March 2000 that a change in the standard interest rate had been triggered. Regulations were laid on 24 March 2000 and will come into force on 16 April 2000. There was no delay.