§ Mr. MeacherTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) if he intends to privatise any part of his Department's debt recovery function;
(2) what work has been done within his Department concerning the possibility of privatising parts of his Department's debt recovery function.
§ Mrs. Gillian ShephardWe have no such plans. Following a recent efficiency scrutiny on the recovery of money owed to the Department, officials undertaking preparatory work for the ensuing action plan gave some consideration to this possibility. Ministers however have no intention of using private debt collectors to collect money from social security beneficiaries.