asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many supplementary benefit claimants in each of the DHSS regions are having amounts from their benefits regularly saved on their behalf by DHSS.
On the basis of a small sample of cases, including those where a deduction is made under Section 17(3) of the Supplementary Benefit Act 1966 for payment to a third party, the numbers as at November 1973 are approximately as follows:
| Northern | 3,000 |
| Yorkshire and Humberside | 2,000 |
| East Midlands and East Anglia | 1,000 |
| London, North | 2,000 |
| London, South | 3,000 |
| London, West | 2,000 |
| South-Western | 2,000 |
| West Midlands | 7,000 |
| North-Western (Manchester) | 3,000 |
| North-Western (Merseyside) | 2,000 |
| Wales | 2,000 |
| Scotland | 2,000 |
| Great Britain | 33,000 |
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what facilities are available in Edinburgh for the counter payment of supplementary benefit.
Any supplementary benefit due for payment following a call at a local office is generally made by giro order issued through the post on the same day. Exceptionally, and only where there is need that is so urgent that payment is essential the same day, the giro order is issued over the counter. These arrangements apply generally in local offices of the Department.