§ Mr. BellottiTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) why he no longer takes into account the number of pensioners in an area when fixing the staffing of local Department of Social Security offices;
(2) if he will make it his policy that there will be an immediate increase in staffing at the Department of Social Security local offices to process claims when unemployment rises.
§ Miss WiddecombeThe Department allocates staffing resources to its local offices according to workload. Local offices record workload, including claims from pensioners and unemployed people each month. Resource managers take account of revised workload forecasts based on those returns when reviewing local office complements.