To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services when the new social security technical guides will be available to the public.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will publish an income support and family credit handbook comparable with the supplementary benefit handbook.

The technical guides dealing with the major reformed benefits, income support, social fund, family credit and housing benefit are available this week. Others will be produced shortly. These guides replace the existing priced handbooks on supplementary benefit and non-contributory benefits for disabled people, and are free of charge. They are primarily aimed at those who give professional advice to the public, such as citizens advice bureaux staff, but they will be available to members of the public who can obtain copies from social security offices.