HC Deb 05 May 1998 vol 311 cc377-8W
Mr. Rhodri Morgan

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what proposals she has to arrange full mutual disclosure of details of housing benefit and income support claims between the Benefits Agency and local authorities; and what consultations she has had with the Data Protection Registrar. [38568]

Mr. Keith Bradley

We have made clear in our Green Paper "A New Contract for Welfare" our intention to build an Active Modern Welfare service. As part of that, our strategy for the delivery of Social Security aims to provide integrated services to meet customers' needs, and to cut out duplication of work between different Departments, and between central and local government.

We are currently completing trials of an initiative to improve Local Authority access to Departmental benefit data, including Income Support data, through remote access computer terminals. These give Local Authority staff on-line access to Departmental benefit systems so that they can speedily obtain the information they require to administer Housing and Council Tax Benefits. We are now developing plans—in conjunction with local authority associates—to make these terminals available nationally.

For the longer term, we are exploring whether—and, if so, how—Local Authority Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit computer systems can be linked to the planned new generation of Departmental computer systems. The aim of such links would be to give both Local Authorities and the Department full access to all mutually relevant Social Security data.

In addition, we are exploring the possibility of using local authority Housing Benefit records to identify pensioners whose circumstances indicate a likely entitlement to Income Support. Once we have identified people, we will approach them to encourage a claim.

We are also investigating new ways of working with local authorities to improve service delivery to clients, and to reduce duplication of effort, between the Benefits Agency and local authorities, and unnecessary administration.

The Department has full regard to the requirements of data protection legislation in developing these initiatives, and consults the Registrar as appropriate.