HC Deb 21 November 1984 vol 68 cc203-4W
Mr. Gordon Brown

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many meetings, in addition to the formal hearings, have been held by each of the social security review teams.

Mr. Newton

[pursuant to his reply, 16 November 1984, c. 385–86.]: In addition to oral hearings to hear evidence from individuals and organisations, the social security reviews have so far had 54 meetings:

Meetings
Inquiry into provision for retirement 22
Reviews of benefits for children and young people 7
Supplementary benefit review 10
Housing benefit review 15

Mr. Gordon Brown

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if he will publish a list of the Government Departments that have given evidence or made representations to the social security reviews, either to individual review teams or to the review generally;

(2) if he will list the Departments represented on the social security teams;

(3) if he will list the names and numbers of advisers from outside Government, and civil servants from outside the Department of Health and Social Security, who are engaged in work for the social security reviews.

Mr. Newton

[pursuant to his reply, 16 November 1984; c. 985–86]: The following people from outside Government are assisting in the work of the social security reviews:

Inquiry into provision for retirement

  • (Chairman: The right hon. Norman Fowler, MP).
  • Mr. Stewart Lyon, general manager (finance)—of Legal and General and president of the Institute of Actuaries.
  • Mr. Marshall Field, general manager and actuary of Phoenix Assurance and chairman of the occupational pensions schemes and joint working group.
  • Professor Alan Peacock, vice-chancellor of the university of Buckingham.
  • Mr. Mark Weinberg, director of Hambro Life.

Review of benefits for children and young people

  • (Chairman: The right hon. Norman Fowler, MP).
  • Mrs. Barbara Shenfield, chairman of the Women's Royal Voluntary Service.
  • Mr. T. G. Pary Rogers, director, personnel and Europe, of the Plessey Company.

Supplementary Benefits Review

  • (Chairman: Mr. Tony Newton MP).
  • Mr. Robin Wendt, chief executive of Cheshire county council and member of the social security advisory committee.
  • Mr. Basil Collins, CBE, chairman, Nabisco Brands Ltd.

Housing Benefit Review

  • (Chairman: Mr. Jeremy Rowe, CBE, chairman of the Peterborough Development Corporation and deputy chairman of the Abbey National building society).
  • Mr. Alan Blakemore, CBE, formerly chief executive of the London borough of Croydon.
  • Mrs. Rhea Martin, lecturer in Law at the Hatfield polytechnic and a vice-chairman of the National Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux.

Central Review Unit

  • Mr. J. Q. Thompson, consultant with Coopers and Lybrand Associates.

The membership of the inquiry into provision for retirement also included three Ministers — from the Treasury, the Department of Employment, and the Department of Trade and Industry—and the Government Actuary. No other Government Departments are represented on the review teams themselves. Officials from a number of Departments, however, have provided information and evidence to the reviews, and have attended meetings of the review teams when the chairmen have considered it appropriate. The names of civil servants in departments outside the Department of Health and Social Security who have been or are engaged in work connected with the reviews are not held centrally.