§ Mr. SteinbergTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what are the latest statistics on the number of persons in the Durham city area who are unemployed and are receiving sickness and invalidity benefit.
§ Mr. ScottThe administration of sickness and invalidity benefit are matters 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 Michael Bichard to Mr. Gerry Steinberg, dated 8 June 1993:
As Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency it is my responsibility to answer questions about relevant operational matters. I am therefore replying to your recent Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security asking what are the latest statistics on the number of persons in the Durham City area who are unemployed and are receiving Sickness Benefit (SB) and Invalidity Benefit (IVB).
The information is not available in the format requested and can be obtained only at disproportionate cost. The latest statistics available from the Agency's Durham Branch Office within the North Durham District, which includes the Durham City area, relate to SB and IVB only.
A total of 5,224 customers are claiming these benefits currently, 1,011 claiming SB and 4,213 claiming IVB. These figures include customers who have claimed but are not in receipt of benefit.
As Agency District boundaries do not correspond with county or borough boundaries the figures include some customers living in areas other than Durham City.
I hope you find this reply helpful. A copy will appear in the Official Report. A copy will also be placed in the Library.