§ Mr. MeacherTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many offices providing public access for the purpose of claiming benefit, including unemployment benefit, were in operation on 1 April 1979, and at the latest available date, in Great Britain.
§ Mr. JackThe payment of social security benefits, excluding unemployment benefit, is the responsibility of the Department of Social Security. We are unable to supply precise figures for social security offices for 1979, as records are not readily available, but it is estimated that there were about 800 offices open to the public at that time. These included both national insurance offices and area offices which dealt solely with supplementary benefit.
At 30 September 1991, the latest available date for which figures are held, there were 694 offices providing public access. This reduction was in part due to the creation of integrated local offices, combining some former national insurance offices and area offices. Overall there has been an increase in the accessibility to the service available including the provision of improved telecommunications, better publications and services such as Freeline.
I understand from my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Employment that precise figures for 1979 are not held centrally, but there were about 1,000 unemployment benefit offices open to the public at that time. At 31 January 1992, the latest date for which figures are held, there were 1,028 such offices.