§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will give for the latest convenient stated date before the amalgamation of the former Ministry of Pensions and National Insurance the total costs, including salaries, wages and manpower involved in running these Departments; to what extent the formation of the Department of Social Security saved manpower and costs at the latest convenient stated date; and to what extent the establishment of the new system of Secretary of State for Social Services will effect further savings in manpower, salaries and costs.
§ Mr. CrossmanI have been asked to reply.
265WOn 1st August, 1966, the staffs of the former Ministry of Pensions and National Insurance and the former National Assistance Board totalled 56,000 and the cost of administration for 1965–66 was £78 million. The cost of administration for the year ended March, 1968, was £94 million and total staff numbers on 1st October, 1968, were 62,650. The main purposes of the 1966 merger were to further the co-ordination of social security policy and to combat reluctance to claim non-contributory benefits. Any savings of manpower and cost resulting from that reorganisation are already greatly outweighed by the extra cost, including staff costs, resulting from the success of the supplementary benefits scheme, the development of the contributory benefits schemes and additional tasks placed on the Ministry.
It is too soon to estimate the effect upon manpower and other costs of the establishment of the Department of Health and Social Security.