§ Mr. Macfarlaneasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement on the purpose and functions of the main categories of the 1,700 forms which his Department issues to the public for drawing all types of benefit; and if he will also give the total cost to the Department of printing these forms in 1975.
§ Mr. OrmeThese forms are used for claiming social security benefits, collecting the necessary information about the individual circumstances of claimants, and conveying decisions to them. They cover a wide-range of contributory and non-contributory benefits and the collection of national insurance contributions. The cost figures for these forms are not readily identifiable within the much larger figures of the administrative costs of printing and other items, and it would be disproportionately expensive to obtain the information.