§ Mr. Home Robertsonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the total value of efficiency incentive payments made to offices in his Department in 1984; if he will list the categories of savings which qualified for such incentives; and if he will list the offices to which such payments were awarded, showing the amount of the payment and the use to which it was put in each office under the following categories: office parties, staff outings and social purposes, purchases of equipment, purchases of vouchers for use by staff and donations to charities.
§ Mr. WhitneyThe Department's efficiency incentive scheme achieved administrative savings of £121,036. During the financial year 1983–84 in the following categories; telecommunications, office supplies and equipment, postage, travelling expenses, office works and services and improvements in administrative procedures.
Awards totalling £28,073.36 were made to the offices listed:
220W
Office Award £ Wales and South West Merthyr Tydfil 557.76 Rhyl 719.11 221W
Office Award £ Porthmadog and Dolgellau 158.31 Colwyn Bay 242.36 Barry 101.46 Aberdare 100.00 Anglesey 38.68 Cardiff West 40.31 Caernarfon 104.81 Bargoed 236.88 Bridgewater 607.95 Launceston 18.32 Torbay 71.11 Taunton 42.68 Yeovil 67.64 Plymouth 1,838.83 Winterbourne 392.50 Ilford Park 75.02 North East Region Bradford East 51.61 Bradford West 551.87 Dewsbury 301.59 Skipton 109.86 Bradford South 282.69 Leeds North 5.62 Castleford AO 25.34 Halifax 1,714.38 Leeds West 139.21 London North Bedford 263.00 Edgware 373.00 Hemel Hempstead 211.00 Hendon 160.00 Leytonstone 192.00 Luton 678.00 Stoke Newington 394.00 Uxbridge 372.00 Diss AO 62.00 Diss NIO 137.00 Norwich Mountergate 762.00 Stepney AO 248.00 Stepney NIO 2.00 Barking 517.00 Basildon 1,004.00 Canning Town 30.00 Chelmsford 854.00 Euston 248.00 Grays 361.00 Hornchurch 38.00 Plaistow 313.00 Scotland Arbroath 1.00 Cowdenbeath 503.27 Dundee 94.66 Elgin 235.81 Fraserburgh 9.20 Leven 28.39 Glasgow Provan 607.25 Hamilton 188.50 Shotts 315.66 Perth 56.33 Peterhead 7.01 Wick 33.25 Bellshill 21.75 Glasgow 7.50 North West Hyde 333.47 Stockport South 22.49 Openshaw 28.51 London South Bloomsbury 216.00 Newbury 225.00 Crawley 1,678.00
Office Award £
Greenwich 215.00 Lewisham 1,582.00 Peckham 60.00 Thames South 735.00 Midlands Cannock 147.59 Dudley North 68.89 Dudley South 99.55 Lichfield 103.05 Smethwick 201.45 Stafford 28.35 Telford 151.76 Walsall East 228.28 Walsall West 680.39 West Bromwich 482.97 Wolverhampton North 589.22 Leicester Burley's Way 950.53 Leamington Spa 94.20 Coventry East 185.20 Nuneaton 413.64 Leicester Lower Hill St. 138.50 Corby 37.91 Northampton 14.91 Information is not available on how individual offices disposed of awards and it could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. It is known however that the majority of funds were donated to local office sports and social club funds to be used for the benefit of the staff.
The Department also operates an incentive scheme which rewarded good or improved overall performance in local offices; bonus payments of £139,513.88 were made during 1984.