asked the Secretary of State for Social Services, in view of the fact that an increase of £6 per week for a man with a wife and two children at present earning £30 per week would result in a loss of spending power of 52p per week and 70p per week with three children, what action she will take to remedy this situation.

As I made clear in my reply to the hon. Member on 21st July, these losses would occur only if all means-tested benefits were immediately adjusted. This does not happen in practice.—[Vol. 896, c. 91–2.]