§ Mr. Ralph Howellasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the annual cost of a local officer grade II in his Department and the equivalent grade of officer working on the new housing benefit scheme; and what is the estimated number of jobs lost in his Department with the introduction of the housing benefit scheme.
§ Dr. BoysonThe full annual cost of a local officer II in DHSS in 1983–84 is estimated to be £11,100. No comparable information is available on the cost of an equivalent local authority officer; 2,445 posts were saved through the introduction of the housing benefit scheme.