§ Mr. Andrew MacKayasked the Secretary of State for Social Services when he expects local offices of his Department dealing with supplementary and non-contributory benefits to be linked to a national computer.
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§ Dr. BoysonMicrocomputer assistance in some aspects of supplementary benefit work is already being tested in local offices. National implementation is planned by the end of 1985.
Current plans—which are not yet finalised—envisage national implementation beginning in late 1988 of a computer network serving DHSS local offices for supplementary benefit and other locally administered benefits.