§ Mr. Soleyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many assaults on staff at supplementary benefit offices serving the Hammersmith and Fulham area have taken place during the last 12 months, or most recent convenient period; and if he will publish a table showing the number of assaults at each office over each of the last five years.
§ Dr. BoysonThe reported assaults on staff in the social security offices serving the Hammersmith and Fulham area are as follows for the years indicated.
Year Acton Chelsea Kensington 1983* Nil 1 Nil 1982 1 Nil 1 1981 Nil 1 1 1980 Nil Nil 1 1979 Nil Nil 2 1978 Nil 1 1 * To date
§ Mr. Soleyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services at which supplementary benefit offices serving the Hammersmith and Fulham areas staff protecting screens have been installed; on what dates these were installed; at which offices security guards have been appointed; and at what dates.
§ Dr. BoysonThe Hammersmith and Fulham areas are served by three of the Department's local offices, at Acton, Chelsea and Kensington. Protective screens are installed on the supplementary benefit counters at each of these offices, the screens were installed more than 10 years ago.
Security officers are employed by this Department at Chelsea and have been since 1977. Security officers for the other buildings are the responsibility of the major occupying Department which in both cases is the Department of Environment.