§ Mr. Sproatasked the Secretary of State for Social Services where his Department stores the encashed coupons of benefit books; and how long these are kept before being destroyed.
§ Mr. OrmeEncashed orders from benefit books are stored, according to the type of benefit, in either a depot in Great Britain or one in Northern Ireland. These orders are kept for as long as the Department considers necessary, but it is not in the public interest to disclose the duration of that period.