asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement on the supplementary benefit policy inspectorate's report on the effects of the capital rule.

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State to my hon. Friend the Member for Paddington (Mr. Wheeler) on 6 April.—[Vol. 21, c. 302.] As he said, we shall be keeping the operation of the rule under review and we continue to welcome any observations which may be made on the report.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will estimate how many pensioners now able to claim single payments from supplementary benefit will no longer be able to do so after the passage of the Social Security and Housing Benefits Bill; and if he will make a statement.

It is estimated that about 55,000 supplementary pensioners will no longer be eligible for supplementary benefit, and thus for single payments, on the introduction of housing benefit. This will arise because these claimants will receive more in weekly benefit from housing benefit than they do now, and will as a result be taken above supplementary benefit levels of income. People with incomes above supplementary benefit levels are not eligible for single payments.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish in the Official Report figures giving details of the number of claimants and number of dependants in (a) Birkenhead and (b) England and Wales, claiming supplementary benefit in May 1979 and at the latest available date; and if he will publish the information in categories according to whether the claimant is (i) over retirement age, (ii) unemployed, (iii) sick, (iv) single-parent family and (v) other category.

Information is not available in the form requested. However, table 1 shows the numbers claiming in England and Wales, and from the two local offices. in Birkenhead, which may include people who live outside Birkenhead itself. Available information about the number of dependants is given in table 2.