§ Mr. Ashdownasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will describe the present computer equipment and communication links of the national unemployment benefit system; and if he will describe the changes planned under the terminal replacement and inquiry system.
§ Mr. WhitneyI have been asked to reply.
Under the current national unemployment benefit system, unemployment benefit offices transmit and receive information via teletype terminals linked by telegraph-speed lines to ICL 2966 mainframe computers at the Reading and Livingston computer centres. These terminals are to be replaced, over a two-year period, by 482W Honeywell visual display units, which will be linked by British Telecom packet switchstream service to ICL dual 2966 machines at the two computer centres.