§ Mr. Andrew Bowdenasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what negotiations are currently taking place to end his Department's computer strike.
§ Dr. BoysonI would welcome an early resumption of the negotiations which the unions concerned broke off at the start of the strike action.
§ Mr. Andrew Bowdenasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) whether his plans to increase the available scale margin for pensioners in receipt of supplementary benefit will be affected by the present computer strike at his Department;
78W(2) if he will list all those benefits currently affected by the computer dispute at his Department; and what changes he anticipates will be delayed or otherwise affected by the strike that were planned to take effect from 26 November.
§ Dr. BoysonThe dispute at the Newcastle computer centre is currently affecting retirement pension, national insurance widows' benefits, child benefit and child's special allowance. As far as the changes to take effect in November are concerned we are currently considering the best way of ensuring that pensioners and others receive their new rates of benefit on time or with as little delay as possible. It is too soon to say to what extent individual benefits are likely to be affected as this depends upon a number of factors, not least the date on which the dispute ends. Clearly the most satisfactory solution would be a speedy end to the dispute.