asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make stocks of sickness claim forms (SC1) available to employers; what action he is taking to overcome the shortages of these forms; and if he will make a statement.
As I indicated in my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Windsor and Maidenhead (Dr. Glyn) on 11 June—[Vol. 25, c. 176]—forms SC1 are available from doctors' surgeries, DHSS local offices and hospitals. After careful consideration it was decided not to make the forms more widely available through post offices or elsewhere.That remains the position. I have no plans to make stocks of the form available to employers. There is no central shortage of the forms and we have arrangements to meet any local difficulty which is reported to the staff of the Department.