§ Mr. Squireasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what initiatives local social security offices of his Department have taken to improve the quality of their service to the public.
§ Mr. NewtonI am pleased to announce that the Department has today published "Service to the Public: A Handbook of Good Practice". This handbook describes some of the many initiatives taken by local social security offices as a result of the Department having set the improvement of service to the public as a management priority for 1982–83 and 1983–84. The handbook is being sent to a wide range of outside organisations with an interest in DHSS services, and I am placing a copy in the Library of the House. I hope that the ideas it contains will lead to still further improvements and I should like to congratulate the Department's staff on the efforts they have already made.