§ Mr. Kimballasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if, when coming to his conclusion on his consultations with the Lincolnshire community health councils on his plans for a limited change of functions, he will bear in mind the views of the county council that there should be no further change in local government functions unless overwhelming benefit to the citizens can be clearly demonstrated.
§ Mr. MoyleWe shall take full account of all views expressed during the consultation before reaching any conclusions.
204Wpeople in the parliamentary constituency of Ormskirk social security benefits are paid; and to how many individuals such payments relate.
§ Mr. DeakinsI regret that information is not available in the form requested. The Ormskirk parliamentary constituency lies within the areas covered by the local offices of my Department at Kirkby, St. Helens and Skelmersdale. As at February 1978 supplementary benefit was in payment at these offices as follows:
NUMBER OF CLAIMANTS IN RECEIPT OF SUPPLEMENTARY BENEFIT Kirkby ILO 8,000 St. Helens ILO 11,000 Skelmersdale ILO 6,000 NOTE. It is not known to how many individuals (claimants and dependants) such payments related.
No relevant information is available for any other benefit administered by my Department.
§ Mr. Cyril Smithasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many persons in the parliamentary constituency of Ormskirk draw unemployment benefit.
§ Mr. DeakinsI regret that unemployment benefit statistics are not recorded by parliamentary constituency. Two unemployment benefit offices (UBOs) are situated within the Ormskirk constituency, at Ormskirk and Kirkby, and the information is given below in respect of these offices.