Minister of Social, Affairs and Employment is responsible for finding work conscientious for objectors. Alternative service is performed either with government bodies or with suitable organizations, as designated by the Minister of Social Affairs and Employment, which serve the public interest. Conscientious objectors receive the same pay as conscripts, namely pocket money; certain allowances and fringe benefits are available. As far as possible, the legal position of conscientious objectors is the same as that of conscripts. As regards the possible payment of general assistance, the Government would make the following observations. The General Assistance Act, in conjunction with which the National Assistance Standardisation Decree sets levels of benefits, is based on the premise that assistance will be granted to those who are unable to support themselves. The purpose of this benefit is to cover the costs of subsistence if normal sources of income fail to meet these minimum costs. The General Assistance Act thus provides a safety net for cases in which all other sources of income have failed. Conscripts and those performing alternative service are deemed to be adequately provided for already, as their position is fully regulated by the National Service Act, the Military Service Act and associated regulations. Under the established case law of the Crown, the statutory arrangements for payments to conscientious objectors are regarded as adequate and they do not require benefit payments. The Royal Decree of 21 January 1988 which was submitted by the applicant is entirely in accordance with this case law. In reply to the Committee's question, it may be observed that neither the General Assistance Act nor the National Standardisation Decree was applicable to the applicant when he was performing his alternative service as a conscientious objector." 6.3 With regard to the Committee's prior jurisprudence, the State party refers to its decisions on admissibility of 5 November 1987 (Communication No. 45/1987, R.T.Z. v. the Netherlands) and 24 March 1988 (Communication No. 6711987, H.J.G. v. the Netherlands) and argues that the applicant's case should likewise be ruled inadmissible.. "The applications in question related to conscripts. In paragraph 3.2 of the decisions cited, the Committee observed that the Covenant does not preclude the institution of compulsory military service by State parties, even though this means that some rights of individuals may be restricted during military service, within the exigences of such service." The State party also takes the view that the institution of a compulsory alternative service for conscientious objectors is equally endorsed by the Covenant and refers to article 8, paragraph 3 c (ii). 6.4 It is submitted that in cases where conscientious objections have been recognised, alternative service functions as a substitute for military service. "It appears from the applicant's communication that he considers that, as a conscientious objector, he has suffered discrimination in comparison with members of the public. The Government, in this phase of the procedure, will not deal with the factual question whether the non-applicability of the General Assistance Act does result in differences of income as claimed by the applicant. However, referring to the two above-mentioned decisions of the Committee it can be contended that in the Present case a comparison of the position of the author with the position of members of the public vis-à-vis the General Assistance Act is not called for. Furthermore the applicant has not claimed that the rules applicable to him Were applied to him differently than to other conscientious objectors. The Government concludes that the author has no claim under article 2 of the Optional Protocol." 7. In letter dated 29 June 1989, counsel comments on the State party's submission under rule 91, 80