§ Mr. Spearingasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the approximate cost during 1970 of the social security advisory committees, and if he will break down the sum into its main components and publish a summary of the replies received from these committees concerning their future rô1e.
§ Mr. DeanThe estimated annual cost of the social security local advisory committees made in 1970 was £130,000. This was made up of £125,000 departmental staff costs and £5,000 travelling and subsistence expenses of local advisory committee members.
The replies received from local advisory committees in response to an inquiry sent to them last year contained few positive proposals for their future role. The main suggestions made were that local advisory committees should consider items of proposed legislation before reference to the National Insurance Advisory Committee, that local advisory committee members should interview more claimants to supplementary benefit, and that the 262W existence of local advisory committees should be more widely publicised.