§ Mr. McQuarrieasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will indicate in the Official Report the number and official location of staff cuts in the local offices dealing with processing benefit claims in the years 1979 to 1983, listing each year separately.
69W
§ Dr. BoysonInformation about staff reductions in individual local offices is not available centrally, and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
I refer my hon. Friend to my reply to the hon. Member for Battersea (Mr. Dubs) on 22 November 1983, at columns 383–86, for the national staffing reductions 1979 to 1983 on supplementary benefit work. Similar information on contributory benefits will take a little time to gather, and I will write to my hon. Friend as soon as it is available.