To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if any decisions have yet been made on the disbursement of money to charities following the error in the retail price index.

The balance remaining out of the saving attributable to the RPI error in the social security uprating is £7·5 million after allowing for the compensatory payments to individual beneficiaries. This sum will be paid to charities whose activities broadly benefit those groups affected by the error. The sum available to charities in England is £6·4 million. My right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland and my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Northern Ireland and for Wales will be making separate announcements about their own arrangements.I have received many offers of help with the disbursement of these funds and requests for a share of the available money. After careful consideration and consultation with representatives of voluntary organisations I have decided to allocate just over £4 million direct to individual voluntary organisations for specific purposes. These organisations are listed at table A together with the amounts it is proposed they should receive.In addition we will be discussing with three generalist organisations arrangements for the disbursement of a further £2 million of funding to local voluntary bodies. The three organisations concerned are listed at table B together with the amounts it is proposed they should receive. It is envisaged that these charities will be better placed to fund local organisations working within the particular fields of the groups of claimants who it has not been possible to compensate.A further public statement will be made shortly about the arrangements for local voluntary organisations who are not listed at table A to apply for funding.My right hon. Friend the Paymaster General has today made an announcement on the allocation of moneys to public service charities in respect of the RPI error.