§ Mr. McAllionTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many staff were in post on the date that each agency in his Department was established as an executive agency; and how many staff are in post now.
§ Miss WiddecombeThe information requested is in the table.
On establishment At 1 June 1991 Date established Resettlement Agency 540 505 24 May 1989 Information Technology Services Agency 2,996 3,732 2 April 1990 Contributions Agency 7,171 7,255 10 April 1991 Benefits Agency 65,604 64,979 10 April 1991 Note: Figures are whole time equivalent permanent staff only.
§ Mr. McAllionTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list new facilities for staff including nurseries and health care schemes which have been introduced in each agency in his Department since its establishment as an executive agency.
§ Miss WiddecombeThe Benefits Agency has opened three workplace nurseries in Brixton, Hinchley Wood and Newcastle Upon Tyne. The Newcastle nursery is a joint venture with the Contributions Agency and Information Technology Services Agency. The Information Technology Services Agency has introduced a holiday playscheme at Lytham St. Annes.
Number of claimants Average weekly payment (£) Total payment per annum (£ million) Current 1990 prices 1975 98,000 3.93 20 68 1976 123,000 4.22 27 80 1977 124,000 5.12 33 87 1978 105,000 4.81 26 63 1979 98,000 5.96 31 64 1980 134,000 10.18 71 128 1981 196,000 12.18 124 200 1982 235,000 13.87 170 260 1983 242,000 11.93 150 218 1984 277,000 15.18 219 304 1986 356,000 18.96 351 458 1987 334,000 19.31 335 415 1988 200,000 18.33 286 340 1989 281,000 24.18 353 387 Source: Annual Statistical Enquiries.
Notes: Figures for numbers of claimants are rounded to the nearest 100,000.
Figures from 1983 onwards are not comparable with earlier figures because they were collected on a different basis.
Current prices are inflated to 1990 price level by use of the RPI index.
In 1985 no Enquiry was undertaken.
The 1990 Enquiry will be published shortly.
§ Mr. BattleTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what would be the cost of paying mortgage interest payments in full for the first 16 weeks of an income support claim.
328WIn regard to healthcare schemes all staff aged 35 and over employed in the Department's executive agencies are to be offered the opportunity of a comprehensive health screen, including lifestyle counselling, concentrating on the main causes of premature death in the United Kingdom, coronary heart disease, and breast and cervical cancer.
§ Mr. McAllionTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the new forms of alternative working patterns introduced into each agency in his Department since its establishment as an executive agency; and if he will publish a breakdown by grade of the numbers of staff taking up each new working pattern.
§ Miss WiddecombeThe Information Technology Services Agency has introduced two new forms of alternative working patterns:(a) recurring temporary appointments and (b) short notice appointments. These cater respectively for staff contracted to work for short periods each year, and for staff employed at short notice and usually for a short period. To date the only such appointments made relate to two executive officers employed on a recurring temporary appointments basis.
The Benefits Agency, the Contributions Agency and the Resettlement Agency have not introduced any new forms of alternative working patterns since their inception as executive agencies.