To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he has any plans to meet the housing associations to discuss the level of housing benefit for income support claimants.

We have no plans to do so and I am not aware of any requests to this Department for such a meeting.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will publish the latest estimates for England of (a) the number of households receiving housing benefit, (b) the average amount of housing benefit paid and (c) the cost of housing benefit, distinguishing (i) those households which receive income support and those which do not, (ii) rent rebates and rent allowances and (iii) pensioner households, lone parent families, two parent families, childless couples and others.

[holding answer 26 February 1992]: The information available is set out in the table.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he has for the improvement of contact between his Department and London local authorities to speed up the payment of housing benefit.

The Department and the Benefits Agency keep the arrangements for housing benefit liaison with local authorities under constant review. Discussions are currently taking place with the Benefits Agency and the local authority associations on the preparation of a national service level agreement. This will provide a model framework for individual local authorities and social security districts throughout Great Britain, allowing them to negotiate local agreements which more closely suit local needs. One of the first local agreements will operate between certain London authorities and the Glasgow benefits centre. In addition to these initiatives, regular liaison meetings, at working and management levels, are actively encouraged. Finally, the forms used by the Benefits Agency to supply information to local authorities are to be improved later this year. With these improvements in place, all authorities should see gains in the quality of service provided.