Oral Answers to Questions — Northern Ireland – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 18 March 1993.
Mr Clifford Forsythe
, South Antrim
12:00,
18 March 1993
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many Housing Executive tenants are receiving housing benefit.
Mr Robert Atkins
, South Ribble
On 5 March 1993, 110,367 Housing Executive tenants were receiving housing benefit.
Mr Clifford Forsythe
, South Antrim
Under what legislation is confidential benefit information shared between the Department of Health and Social Security and the Housing Executive, leading on the one hand to many housing benefit claimants losing benefit, and on the other allowing hundreds of giro drops to continue in Northern Ireland?
Mr Robert Atkins
, South Ribble
As the hon. Gentleman will be aware, my noble Friend the Under-Secretary of State has particular responsibility for this matter. I know that he has been in conversation and correspondence with the hon. Gentleman. I will ensure that the hon. Gentleman's concerns are related to my noble Friend. I suspect that the detail for which the hon. Gentleman is looking requires a detailed letter in response, and that I will try to provide.
Secretary of State was originally the title given to the two officials who conducted the Royal Correspondence under Elizabeth I. Now it is the title held by some of the more important Government Ministers, for example the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.
