§ Mr. Llew SmithTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what reasons underlay the decision by the district manager of the north Gwent and Brecon area to reduce the Abertillery office from its current full status to that of a caller office;
(2) what provision will be made in the new arrangements for the Abertillery benefits office to allow 236W customers to receive emergency payments on the loss or destruction of order books and benefits cheques, or on their failure to arrive by post;
(3) if he will extend beyond 30 April the consultation period for trade unions to reply to the plans to change the status of the Abertillery benefits office;
(4) what was the most recent efficiency ranking awarded to the Abertillery benefits office before the league tables on operational efficiency of benefits offices ceased to be compiled;
(5) what arrangements he will make for the transport of benefit claimants to the Ebbw Vale benefits office from Abertillery on the change of status of the Abertillery office from a full processing office to a caller office.
§ Mr. BurtThe operation of benefit offices is a matter for Mr. Michael Bichard the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member with such information as is available and a copy will be placed in the Library.
Letter from David Riggs to Mr. Llew Smith, dated 2 April 1993:
As Chief Executive of the Benefits agency it is the responsibility of Mr. Michael Bichard to answer questions about relevant operational matters. However, as Mr. Bichard is away at the moment I am replying on his behalf to your five recent Parliamentary Questions to the Secretary of State for Social Security, concerning the proposed new arrangements for the Abertillery Benefits Agency Office.The intended reorganisation of the Abertillery office has been devised in order to further enhance the level of service provided for customers. The proposed changes would enable the District to further improve the speed and quality at which claims and payments are processed.The report containing the proposals to change the status of the Benefits Agency's Abertillery office was circulated on 19 March for consultation and comment before decisions are taken. A deadline of 30 April has been set for responses from all interested parties and is regarded as reasonable.The Abertillery office will continue to provide the full range of personal advice and information to customers, regardless of its status. Should the reorganisation take place as envisaged, facilities for dealing with customers in urgent need, for example those requiring emergency payments on the loss or destruction of order books and benefits cheques, or on their failure to arrive by post, would remain unchanged. For these reasons it would not be necessary for customers to visit the Benefits Agency's Ebbw Vale office to obtain a comprehensive service.An overall efficiency league table has never been maintained for local offices.I hope that you find this reply helpful. A copy will appear in the Official report and a copy will be placed in the Library.