§ Mr. Weetchasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) whether he will consider redesigning and simplifying the form F1D;
(2) what is the average length of time taken to process the form F1D from when it is received by the local social security office to its despatch to patient and dentist.
§ Mr. MajorWe are considering how best to redesign and simplify form F1D in connection with the social security review changes.
Statistics are not kept routinely on the average length of time taken by local offices to process this form, so that this information could be obtained only by means of a special exercise, which would be disproportionately expensive. However, a recent survey of 20 offices has shown that 80 per cent. of claims for all agency benefits were processed within three weeks.