§ Mr. MaddenTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what manual checks are being made by local Department of Social Security offices on social fund expenditure; when such checks were introduced; and in how many local offices such checks are being made.
§ Mr. Peter LloydThere are no prescribed manual checks of social fund expenditure.
Some local offices may maintain clerical records as an aid to local management but no information is available as to the extent of such unofficial record keeping.
§ Mr. MaddenTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what representations he has received about the reliability of social fund data; and what action he has taken to resolve doubts about the reliability of social fund data.
§ Mr. Peter LloydWe have received a small number of representations from hon. Members about the reliability of the social fund data. Major budgetary errors were corrected in version five of the social fund software which was issued in July. After release of version six of the software later this month we expect that in general statistical reports will accurately record the present month's figures. However, some cumulative year-to-date figures will continue to be unreliable because of problems in earlier months.
§ Mr. MaddenTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he proposes to announce next year's budgets for the social fund for each of his Department's local offices.
§ Mr. Peter LloydWe hope to make an announcement early in the new year.
§ Mr. MaddenTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if the Audit Commission has expressed any concern or made representations about the reliability of social fund data.
§ Mr. Peter LloydNo.