§ Mr. Allen McKayTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will give for each year since 1979 the establishment figure and the actual number of persons in post at(a) Barnsley Department of Health and Social Security office and (b) Barnsley employment office; and what was the total case load count for each year for the same period.
§ Mr. PortilloThe Department has two local offices in Barnsley—Barnsley East and Barnsley West. The information requested in respect of both these offices is as follows:
Barnsley West Barnsley East Complement 1979–80 131 179 Complement 1980–81 127 172 Complement 1981–82 122 166 Complement 1982–83 113 152 Complement 1983–84 95 118 Complement 1984–85 95 122 Complement 1985–86 104 128 Complement 1986–87 109 135 Complement 1987–88 120 161 Complement 1988–89 114 148 Staff in post 1 June 1981 122 167 Staff in post 1 June 1982 113 160 Staff in post 1 June 1983 105 142 Staff in post 1 June 1984 99 126 Staff in post 1 June 1985 102 136 Staff in post 1 June 1986 110 138.5 Staff in post 1 June 1987 116.5 147 Staff in post 1 June 1988 118.5 155.6 Information regarding the numbers of staff in post prior to 1981 is not available.
The latest case load counts, based on a 100 per cent. count of all cases in action, and the corresponding figures for previous years, are as follows:
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Supplementary-benefits Short term benefits Barnsley West 1979 4,356 1980 4,288 1981 5,218 1982 6,329 1983 6,421 3,192 1984 7,530 3,555 1985 7,952 3,467 1986 8,231 3,698
Supplementary benefits Short term benefits 1987 8,414 3,593 1988 17,398 3,785 Barnsley East 1979 5,449 1980 5,594 1981 6,725 1982 8,234 1983 8,595 3,936 1984 10,093 4,438 1985 10,738 4,158 1986 11,334 4,172 1987 10,980 4,423 1988 19,578 4,837 1 Income support. Information regarding short-term benefits case loads prior to 1983 is not available.
Comparable figures are not available for the full range of contributory benefits.
The 1988 case load figures are provisional and subject to amendment.
Direct comparisons between the numbers of staff and the live load are misleading as work loads vary considerably by type and duration of claim and the action that has to be taken. All these factors vary over time as a result of legislative, policy and procedural changes.
The information requested relating to Barnsley employment office is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Employment.