To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list for each of his Department's offices in the Doncaster area (a) how many people in receipt of income support are having deductions made at source for community charge arrears and (b) how many people are having deductions made from income support for social fund loan repayments; and what is the number of people common to both (a) and (b).
The latest available information is as follows:
| Deductions from income support | ||
| Social fund recoveries | Community charge | |
| Doncaster East | 1,264 | 0 |
| Doncaster West | 1,478 | 0 |
| Wath on Dearne | 1,155 | 0 |
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what percentage of the population in (a) Scotland and (b) the United Kingdom, is dependent upon income support.
The information requested is as follows:
| Percentage of the population dependent upon income support | |
| Per cent. | |
| In Scotland | 15·7 |
| In Great Britain1 | 12·6 |
| 1 Information for the United Kingdom is not available. | |
Sources:
Income Support figures: Annual Statistical Enquiry May 1989.
GB population figures: OPCS
Scotland population figures: General Register Office. (Scotland).
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what arrangements are made for the payment of income support to individuals employed by companies which close down for holiday periods who receive no pay during such periods.
Income support is available to people who are on unpaid holiday only if they normally work, on average, fewer than 24 hours a week. Anyone on compulsory unpaid holiday, including a person who normally works 24 or more hours a week and does not have enough money to tide him over until his next payday may be able to get a social fund crisis loan, if this is the only means of avoiding serious risk to his health and safety.