asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the present cost of the heating additions paid with supplementary benefit; and what is the estimated cost of uprating these additions in November in line with the fuel component of the retail price index.

The present cost of these additions in a full year is £120 million. No forecast of the fuel component of the retail price index in November 1980 is available. The most recent figure showed a year on year increase, February 1979 to February 1980, of 18·7 per cent. Up-rating heating additions by this percentage would increase their cost by £22·4 million.