§ Mr. D. E. Thomasasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) how many application forms for social security benefits are published by her Department in (a) Welsh and (b) in bilingual-Welsh and English-form;
(2) how many application forms for social security benefits are published in languages other than English; if she will give details of the individual forms available and the languages of publication: and whether they are monolingual or bilingual.
§ Mr. O'MalleyThere are 15 application forms for claiming social security benefits published in Welsh. No application forms are printed in any other language except in English. They are all monolingual. The forms are numbered as follows and are for claiming the benefits indicated:
- BF 11A, BF 11C, BF 11CW, BF 11W-Sickness Benefit and Injury Benefit.
- BF 225—Invalidity Pension, Retirement Pension and Unemployability Supplement.
- BM 4, BM 4B—Maternity Benefit.
- BR 1, BR 1A, BR 1C—Retirement Pension.
- BW 1—Widow's Benefit.
- FAM 2, FAM 497(LO)—Family Allowances.
- FIS 1—Family Income Supplement.
- SB 1—Supplementary Pensions and Allowances.
§ Mr. D. E. Thomasasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is her estimate of the total cost of supplying every retirement pensioner with a copy of leaflet NI15 in advance of normal retirement date; and if she will take steps to do so.
§ Mr. O'MalleyLeaflet NI15 is in fact issued with all claim forms for retirement pension, normally about four months before the person concerned reaches pensionable age. Only one leaflet is issued to husband and wife where they are invited to claim together. The cost of 391W these leaflets is estimated at about £8,000 a year exclusive of VAT.