asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many supplementary benefits claimants in each office in the North-West (Manchester) Region now have their rent paid directly to the landlord; and how these numbers compare with previous years.

Information about payment of rent direct to landlords is not available on a local or regional basis and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.Information on a national basis is obtained from an annual sampling inquiry and this shows that in November 1974 there were 26,000 direct rent payments and in December 1975 51,000. Information about numbers in 1976 is not yet available.