HC Deb 19 October 1989 vol 158 cc222-3W
Mr. Warren

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many officials in his Department at grade 3 and above have, since promotion to the level of grade 3, attended a course(a) specifically on information technology and (b) containing an element of information technology; and what percentage each represents of all the staff in those grades in his Department.

Mrs. Gillian Shephard

Since their promotion to grade 3, nine people at grades 3 and above have attended a course specifically on information technology and six people have attended a course containing an element of information technology. This represents 53 per cent. and 35 per cent. respectively of all the staff in those grades.

Mr. Warren

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many work stations excluding stand-alone word processors are currently installed in his Department; and what is the ratio of such work stations to civil servants.

Mrs. Gillian Shephard

There are currently 3,985 work stations installed within the Department as part of the operational strategy to computerise benefit payments. The ratio of work stations to civil servants is 1:20. The number of work stations will rise as the programme for the computerisation of benefits is introduced into more offices during national rollout.

Mr. Warren

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security which Minister in his Deprtment is responsible for day-to-day management of his Department's information technology strategy; and what proportion of his time was spent on this matter in the month up to Friday 13 October.

Mr. Newton

The day-to-day management of the Department of Social Security's information technology (IT) strategy is the responsibility of officials. The Minister responsible for oversight of IT matters in the Department of Social Security is the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, my hon. Friend the Member for Norfolk, South-West (Mrs. Shephard). IT is in general so integrated into the Department's business functions that to attempt to apportion specific intervals of my hon. Friend's time to its consideration would involve a disproportionate effort to obtain.