§ Mr. PikeTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what targets for performance set by his Department for the Benefits Agency in respect of clearance 159W time and accuracy are reduced for 1993–94 relative to the original targets for 1992–93; what are the estimated final figures for 1992–93; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. BurtThere are four targets which have been reduced for 1993–94.
1992–93 1993–94 per cent. per cent. DLA clearance time (in 55 days) 95 85 DWA clearance time (in 5 days) 95 65 IS accuracy 94 92 Family credit accuracy 94 92 The final performance figures for 1992–93 will be published in the Benefits Agency annual report in July 1993. The 1993–94 targets will be reviewed, as is customary, by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State in the light of those figures.
§ Mr. KaufmanTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the total cost to the Exchequer to date of weekend working by staff of the Benefits Agency during the past 18 months at time-and-a-half and double-time, plus travelling expenses, for the purpose of making-up the backlog of disability living allowance cases.
§ Mr. ScottThe administration of disability living allowance is a matter for Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member and a copy will be placed in the Library.
Letter from Michael Bichard to Mr. Gerald Kaufman, dated 4 May 1993:
As Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency, it is my responsibility to answer questions about relevant operational matters. I am therefore replying to the points raised in your recent Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security asking what is the total cost to the Exchequer to date of weekend working by staff of the Benefits Agency during the past 18 months at time-and-a-half and double-time, plus travelling expenses, for the purpose of making-up the backlog of Disability Living Allowance cases.
Firstly, it may be helpful for me to explain that Disability Living Allowance (DLA) was introduced on 3 February 1992 and due to this fact any overtime worked prior to this date was mainly in respect of project work and not directly related to processing claims. The information I have therefore supplied, is relevant to the period when DLA was introduced.
It is not possible to establish how much overtime has been paid in respect of weekend working as the information is not recorded separately from normal after hours working. However, the total amount of overtime, including travelling time, in the period February 1992 to February 1993 was £6,822,583. This figure also includes work carried out in the Disability Benefit Centres which is attributable to other work areas and cannot be identified separately, for example Attendance Allowance.
Turning now to the question of travelling expenses this data is not available as it is not recorded separately from the normal travelling expenses incurred during everyday duties.
I hope you find this reply helpful. A copy will appear in the Official Report. A copy will also be placed in the Library.
§ Mr. KaufmanTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the total cost to the Exchequer to date of providing staff of the Benefits Agency with corporate clothing; what this corporate clothing consists of; and how many sets of such clothing have been provided to date.
160W
§ Mr. BurtThe provision of corporate clothing to Benefits Agency staff is a matter for Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member and a copy will be placed in the Library.
Letter from Michael Bichard to Mr. Gerald Kaufman, dated 4 May 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 is the total cost to the Exchequer to date of providing staff of the Benefits Agency with corporate clothing: what this corporate clothing consists of; and how many sets of such clothing have been provided to date.
Corporate clothing, as part of the customer service initiative, enables Benefits Agency staff to present a better and more professional image to their customers. This clothing is worn, voluntarily, by staff who deal regularly with the public such as receptionists, Social Fund officers and those members of staff running exhibitions and talks for outside bodies.
The corporate dress contract was awarded on 11 December 1991. The national cost of corporate clothing, for the financial years 1991–92 and 1992–93, is in the region of £2.1 million. I should explain that funding for this clothing comes from office running costs and not out of the budgets allocated to benefits.
The items available as corporate clothing include jackets, shirts, blouses, cardigans, jumpers, trousers, ties, maternity dresses, and belts. The clothing does not come in sets, but the average order would be in the range of 10 items. Over 86,000 individual items have been ordered to date.
I hope you find this reply helpful. A copy will appear in the Official Report and a copy will also be placed in the Library.