asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the administrative machinery within the children's allowance arrangements to ensure that such allowances are transferred to the children's appointed guardians arising from court decisions and so advised to the Department by children's or probation officers.

A parent who complies with the appropriate maintenance and other conditions is entitled to family allowances. Any other person having care of the children can qualify for these allowances only if the parents are not entitled to them.

Is my hon. Friend aware of the case of a guardian of four children, a case which was fully reported upon in March by a probation officer, and also referred to in a letter which I wrote in May, in which in July the Ministry decided that the guardian who maintains the four children is not entitled to the children's allowance for three of the children?

This again is a particular case raised by my hon. Friend. It is being looked at and I will give it my sympathetic consideration. The terms of the Family Allowancs Act lay down that, unless certain conditions apply, the money should be available for the parents, but where those conditions do not apply then the family allowances are made available to the family looking after the children concerned.

In view of the unsatisfactory nature of that reply, I beg to give notice that I intend to raise the matter on the Adjournment at the earliest possible moment.