§ Mrs. Jill Knightasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the latest position on the strike at his Department's Newcastle central office and its effect on the payment of pensions and benefits.
§ Mr. NewtonThe computer staff who were on strike at the Department's Newcastle central office have this week returned to duty. The following is the latest position on the payment of benefits, including retirement pensions, widows benefit and child benefit.
RETIREMENT PENSIONS AND WIDOWS' BENEFIT
Paid by Order Book
467WAbout 7 million retirement pensioners and widows are currently obtaining payments from post offices on the stubs of expired order books. The issue of new order books to these pensioners will begin shortly but will not be completed until June. Stub payments will continue in the meantime. Pensioners who have missed any stub payments will be paid for the missed weeks by the post office when they are given their new book.Paid by Payable Order
From the end of January Newcastle central office will resume payment by payable order to all pensioners in Great Britain normally paid by that method. Pensioners living overseas are already being paid by payable order from Newcastle.Paid by Credit Transfer
Payment of pensions by credit transfer is already operating normally.New Pensioners
Responsibility for issuing payments to new pensioners who claimed their pension during the strike is being transferred to Newcastle central office, but it will be several months before this is completed. Payment from local social security offices will continue in the meantime.CHILD BENEFIT
Payment arrangements for child benefit should be back to normal for most beneficiaries by early February. Stub payments will, however, continue until March for some beneficiaries whose circumstances have recently changed.
Number* of National Health Service hospitals in England 1970–1983 Region† 1970 1971 1972 1973 †l974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 †l982 1983 Northern 157 155 151 149 158 153 149 145 146 135 131 129 129 128 Yorkshire 180 171 172 165 182 180 178 169 164 164 159 157 155 155 Trent 214 215 213 210 208 208 208 205 205 198 194 188 185 185 East Anglian 97 98 99 99 96 96 96 96 93 93 94 90 88 90 North West Thames 159 158 160 153 134 133 130 126 123 117 112 109 102 101 North East Thames 122 119 116 116 139 138 133 128 122 121 114 114 122 121 South East Thames 167 163 165 164 162 159 154 149 146 145 141 135 137 138 South West Thames 154 150 140 142 135 128 127 128 123 124 118 112 113 115 Wessex 110 110 107 108 155 149 148 149 146 147 146 146 148 154 Oxford 113 112 111 110 107 104 103 96 91 92 88 88 88 88 South Western 262 263 265 267 236 238 230 224 226 223 222 225 224 223 West Midlands 212 210 209 211 209 207 203 205 204 202 201 200 201 203 Mersey 94 94 93 91 103 100 97 95 94 87 83 79 79 74 North Western 195 194 182 179 142 142 137 135 132 130 129 128 126 128 Special Health Authorities and Boards of Governors 28 28 27 25 28 28 26 26 27 27 26 26 20 20 Total 2,264 2,240 2,210 2,189 2,194 2,163 2,119 2,076 2,042 2,005 1,958 1,926 1,917 1,923 * Figures are based on a count of hospitals which provided residential facilities during a year. Day hospitals and clinics are therefore not included. † Figures prior to 1974 relate to regional hospital boards and thereafter to regional health authorities. Because of NHS restructuring in 1974 and 1982 the regional figures are not strictly comparable over the whole period.