asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what action he proposes to take following the judgment of the Court of Appeal, announced on 5 March, in respect of board and lodging regulations; and if he will make a statement.

The Court of Appeal gave judgment in three cases affecting supplementary benefit claimants in board and lodging, including homes.The court has dismissed the two appeals brought against the Secretary of State by the London borough of Camden and an individual claimant respectively. In those cases, the court unanimously upheld the validity of the regulations which governed payments of supplementary benefit to people in residential care and nursing homes during the period from April 1985 to July 1986, and to ordinary boarders during the period from November 1985 to July 1986.In the third case, the Secretary of State himself was the appellant. The court has confirmed that in respect of the period December 1984 to April 1985 decisions on amounts of benefit to be paid should have been made solely by the independent statutory adjudication authorities. The limits promulgated by the Secretary of State had been made under powers which were insufficient for the purpose.We accept the judgment. Action will be taken to identify cases affected by the judgment and arrears of benefit, where appropriate, including any increase in transitional protection dating from April 1985, will be paid.