HC Deb 30 March 1988 vol 130 c542W
Mr. Fearn

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what extra resources he plans to make available to his Department's local budgets to implement the Social Security Act 1986.

Mr. Portillo

Budgets for 1987–88 were increased by some £27 million to provide 3,000 staff for the implementation of the reforms. Thereafter, as the reformed schemes and the computerisation programmes are implemented, the Department's manpower and consequently the budgets will reduce (see Cmnd. 288-II table 15.30).