asked the Paymaster General what are the latest figures for the number of people who have had their claims for unemployment benefit suspended since the availability for work tests were introduced in (a) South Humberside, (b) Lincolnshire and (c) each unemployment office in these two areas.

Under long-standing legal rules adopted by successive Governments, it has always been the practice that, wherever a doubt arises as to whether a benefit claimant is available for work, payments are suspended until the independent statutory adjudicating authorities decide entitlement. Those rules have not been changed in recent years.