asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many claims were received by the Greenock and Port Glasgow Department of Health and Social Security supplementary benefit office for single payments in respect of the exceptionally severe weather in January; how many of these claims have been processed; and how many are outstanding.

Information is not available in the form requested. However, up to 10 March 1987—the latest date for which figures are available—the Greenock and Port Glasgow local offices had made approximately 17,000 exceptionally cold weather £5 payments.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what percentage of claimants at the Greenock and Port Glasgow Department of Health and Social Security supplementary benefit offices who were entitled to exceptionally severe weather payments actually claimed for the payments in January of this year.

I regret that the information requested is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.