products and contained a "guide to EEC packaging". Following a number of accidents involving pyralene transformers, a circular of March 1986 on the hazards associated with pyralene and its decomposition products sets out, for the inspection officers involved, the risks associated with such products, the sectors most at risk, the elementary precautions to be taken, and the regulations to be applied. Despite the Fabius Government's achievements in social policy, it was unable to prevent a rise in social inequality during its time in office, a situation arguably exacerbated by austerity measures introduced by the government. Although the rate of inflation fell, unemployment continued to increase, standing at 11% in early 1986, compared with 8% in 1983. Concern over rising inequality in France was expressed in the publication of a number of books on both "the new poverty" and "social exclusion," which had become major public preoccupations. As a result of a decline in unemployment insurance coverage, those who had no welfare assistance had to rely on local charity and local assistance. This led to cases of some supermarkets providing free food parcels for the unemployed. In 1985, the Fabius Government increased the wealth tax to provide subsidies for organisations providing basic services such as hot meals, agreed to make empty housing and surplus food stocks available, and decided to provide a basic allowance of 40 francs per day for some of the unemployed over the age of 50 who had been left out of the benefit scheme. The Fabius Government's inability to prevent both rising unemployment and inequality arguably contributed to the defeat of the French Socialists in the 1986 legislative election, which led Fabius to step down as prime minister. Scandals as Prime Minister The symbol of a modern French socialism, he was weakened by the "Infected blood scandal". His government was accused of having knowingly let doctors give haemophiliacs transfusions of blood infected by HIV. A judicial process similar to impeachment acquitted him of all personal moral responsibility in the matter. After the sinking of the Rainbow Warrior, a Greenpeace ship, on 10 July 1985, Prime Minister Fabius summoned journalists to his office on 22 September 1985 to read a 200-word statement in which he said: "The truth is cruel," and acknowledged that "Agents of the French secret service sank this boat. They were acting on orders." He had previously denied that the bombers of the Rainbow Warrior