§ Mr. Kilroy-Silkasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she will reconsider her decision to locate the new Health and Social Security office in Skelmersdale and locate it instead, or additionally, in Ormskirk, in view of the distance that would have to be travelled, over poor communication networks, by residents of the northern parishes of the West Lancashire District Council.
§ Mr. O'MalleyThe new all-purpose social security office to serve the West Lancashire District opened on 8th July 1974 at Skelmersdale. Over the years experience has shown that in most areas the Department can best serve the public by establishing its offices in the main centres of population, and in the West Lancashire District this is the developing town of Skelmersdale, which is planned to expand to a population of 80,000. An inquiry office is being retained in 107W Ormskirk, however, and is open to the public on five days a week. It will, therefore, seldom be necessary for residents of the northern parishes of the West Lancashire District to travel to Skelmersdale on social security business.