§ Sir Brandon Rhys Williamsasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the saving in administrative expenditure to the Department of Health and Social Security as a result of the introduction of the new housing benefit scheme; and what is the expected increase in local authority staffing and local authority expenditures resulting from the same scheme.
§ Dr. BoysonThe Department is saving about £20 million in 1983–84 in administrative expenditure as a result of the introduction of the housing benefit scheme, which, when taken with other savings in accommodation and superannuation, brings the total savings to about £30 million. It will not be possible to make firm estimates of local authority staffing requirements or adminstrative costs until the new scheme has begun to settle down.