§ Dr. Edmund Marshallasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what action he is taking to resolve the industrial dispute at his Department's computer centre at Newcastle upon Tyne, in view of delays caused to responses to hon. Members' inquiries about national insurance problems of their constituents.
§ Mr. Patrick JenkinIndustrial action at my Department's Newcastle upon Tyne central office, which 251W has led to the closure of the contributions computer there, is being taken by the Civil Service unions as part of their general protest campaign over Civil Service pay. As the hon. Member will appreciate, negotiations on the pay of civil servants are a matter for my noble Friend the Lord President of the Council and my hon. Friend the Minister of State, Civil Service Department.
While this particular computer remains closed, regrettably hon. Members may continue to experience delays in obtaining responses to inquiries about national insurance problems of their constituents.
The main function of the computer is to provide details of contribution records on which payments of contributory benefits are based. While the computer remains out of service, emergency procedures, designed to compensate for a breakdown in the computer service, have been put into operation enabling staff in local offices and in unemployment benefit offices to maintain payment of benefits to claimants.