To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether he will make it his policy that when a woman writes a letter to his Department in respect of her entitlement to benefit his offices will reply to the writer of that letter rather than her husband.

It is already the policy for officers of the Department to reply direct to the writer of any letters rather than to a third party. I am aware of a particular case of a letter having been sent in error to the husband of one of the hon. Member's constituents, for which the local office manager has now apologised.