§ Mr. BradleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what proportion of(a) new family credit claims and (b) renewal family credit claims are presently being processed with in (i) one week, (ii) four weeks, (iii) six weeks, (iv) eight weeks and (v) longer than eight weeks.
§ Mr. Roger EvansThe administration of family credit is a matter for Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member with such information as is available.
Letter from Michael Richard to Mr. Keith Bradley, dated 16 March 1995:
The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the clearance times of new and renewal claims to Family Credit. You requested details of the proportion cleared within one week, four weeks, six weeks, eight weeks and longer than eight weeks.The table below details the information you have requested. Such figures are produced on a monthly basis and I have therefore provided information for the month ending 28 February 1995 which is the latest full month available. For the purposes of answering this question, one week has been calculated as 5 working days.responsible for each year since 1979, including the budgeted figure for 1995–96, (i) including and (ii) excluding privatisation-related expenditures and expressed in 1994 prices; and if he will supply information for the period from 1 April 1993 to 1 March 1995 showing (1) the nature and (2) the purpose of each publicity campaign and of each publication involving the expenditure of more than £50,000.
§ Mr. Ian TaylorThe information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.