To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the total number of items which can now be directly debited from income support prior to claimants' receipt of the benefit; and if he will list the date of implementation of each item.

The items which may be deducted at source in prescribed circumstances from income support are as follows:

(a) Housing costs.

(b) Residential care, nursing home and Polish resettlement home fees.

(c) Rent arrears and service charges paid with rent.

(d) Hostel service charges.

(e) Fuel charges (electricity and gas).

(f) Water charges.

(g) Community Charge arrears.

(h) Social Fund loan repayments.

(i) Overpayment recovery.

Not all these deductions can apply in a single case. There are ceilings on the amounts that can be deducted for debts. With the exception of those for social fund and community charge, all deductions listed were carried forward from the supplementary benefit scheme, when it was replaced by income support in April 1988. The social fund scheme was introduced from April 1988, while community charge deductions were introduced firstly in Scotland from April 1989, and England and Wales from April 1990.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list (i) the numbers of claimants of income support, (ii) their partners, and (iii) their dependants for each of the last six months of 1991; and what numbers and percentages were liable to deductions of benefit for (a) social fund loan repayments, (b) poll tax arrears, (c) fuel arrears, (d) rent arrears, and (e) water charge arrears.

The available information is in the table. Monthly figures and those for partners and dependants could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.