§ Mr. Alfred Morrisasked the Secretary of State for Social Services, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Manchester, Wythenshawe, on 3 November, why the information as to the number of persons taken off invalidity benefit and classified as unemployed and as to savings involved is not available; what cost factors are involved in calculating the answer; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. NewtonI assume the right hon. Member is referring to the numbers of unemployed people whose earier entitlement to invalidity benefit was ended by a decision that they were not incapable of work. Such decisions are given by the independent statutory authorities, the insurance officer in the Department's local office in the first instance.
Although each insurance officer keeps a simple record of all his decisions, no separate statistics are kept to show 73W how many fall into the particular category covered by the question. To establish the number of claimants involved it would therefore be necessary to examine local records covering the past year to identify which cases were relevant and to establish whether the person concerned had gone back to work or become unemployed.
It is estimated that it would cost £24,000 to produce this information.