§ Mr. ClappisonTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has for the future of the integrated inquiry service; how much has been spent on the system; and if he will make a statement. [7475]
§ Malcolm WicksThe integrated inquiry service project was established to examine the feasibility of providing local authorities which administer housing benefit with wider access to the Department's benefit data. This would build on the existing data available through remote access terminals linking local authorities to the Department systems. Our aim is to speed up the processing of claims and improve customer service by reducing authorities' dependence on clerical processes.
A software application was developed by the project and tested in seven local authorities at an estimated cost of £800,000. An evaluation of these trials showed that there remained substantial technical problems to overcome before the tested application could satisfy the Department's and local authorities' business requirements. No assured solutions to these problems could be identified and we have therefore closed the project.
We have commissioned a study to explore the feasibility of an alternative solution.