Contributions Agency (Hansard, 18 October 1995)

§ Mr. Heald

The administration of the Contributions Agency is a matter for Mrs. Faith Boardman, the chief executive. She will write to the hon. Member.

Letter from Mrs. Faith Boardman to Mrs. Margaret Ewing, dated 17 October 1995: As Chief Executive of the Contributions Agency, I have responsibility for answering questions about operational matters relating to the Agency. I have been asked to reply to your questions about the addresses of bases of the Agency's clerical staff, plans to centralise the Agency's activities and the effects on the Agency's office in Inverness of these plans. In view of the nature of the questions I have combined the responses. The tables in Annex 1 show the offices with a clerical presence in the Agency's Field Operations in May 1994 while those at Annex 2 show the position at September 1995. In addition to our Field Operations, clerical staff were also based (both in May 1994 and September 1995) at our Centre in Newcastle and Civil Recoveries Sections in Bootle, Cardiff, Edinburgh and King's Lynn. A recent business analysis of our Field Operations and a review of the pay and grading structure have recommended significant changes to the organisation. In 1991, the Agency began to move towards a Field Operations network of some 184 Field Offices supported by 90 National Insurance Outsations. Current research has shown that there is a need to match more closely Contributions Agency outlets to customer requirements while still maintaining nationwide cover for the administration of the NI scheme. Information has been obtained about density of business, density of population and locations of the 267W self-employed. This information has been incorporated into the design of a new network to consist of around 100–115 locations, comprising 70–75 Field Offices and 30–40 Inspector outstations, which will maintain the commitment to service delivery outlined in the Contributions Agency Contributors' and Employers' Charters. It is proposed to achieve the rationalisation of the Field Operations network within the next two to five years. There are no further plans to centralise beyond the current proposals. In Scotland, it is proposed that clerical processing work which does not require face to face contact will be centred in the major cities. A network of National Insurance Inspector outlets will be developed to provide a local service to the Agency's customers by appointment at a local office of the Department of Social Security, or by visit. Under these proposals the Contributions Agency office at Inverness will operate as a National Insurance outlet with clerical processing at either Aberdeen or Edinburgh. I hope that my reply proves helpful. Please let me know if I can be of any more assistance. Contributions Agency Field Operations Clerical Processing Locations as at May 1994

Aberdare
Aberdeen North
Aberystwyth
Accrington
Acton
Airdrie
Aldershot
Andover
Ashford
Ashington
Ashton under Lyne
Aylesbury
Ayr
Balham
Banbury
Barking
Barnet
Barnsley East
Barrow
Basildon
Basingstoke
Bath
Bathgate
Bedford
Bexley
Birmingham Ladywood
Birmingham Perry Barr
Birmingham Ravenhurst
Birmingham South Yardley
Blackpool North
Blackpool South
Bloomsbury
Boston
Bournemouth
Bracknell
Bradford West
Brighton
Bristol South
Bristol West
Bristol Horfield
Brixton
Bromley
Bury St. Edmonds
Bury
Caernarfon
Cambridge
Cannock
Canterbury
Cardiff Gabalfa
Carlisle
Chatham
Carmarthen
Chelmsford
Chester le Street
Chester
Chesterfield
Chichester
Clydebank
Colchester
Colwyn Bay
Coventry
Crawley
Cricklewood
Crewe
Croydon
Cumbernauld
Cwmbran
Darlington
Dartford
Dewsbury
Derby Heritage Gate
Doncaster East
Dover
Dudley North
Dumfries
Dumbarton
Dundee East
Ealing
Eastbourne
Ebbw Vale
East Kilbride
Edgware
Edmonton
Edinburgh (Argyle House)
Epsom
Eston
Euston
Exeter
Falkirk
Fareham
Farnworth
Fulham
Galashiels
Gateshead
Glasgow North
Glasgow South
Glasgow Laurieston
Gloucester
Grays
Greenock
Guildford
Halifax
Hamilton
Harlow
Harrow
Hartlepool
Hastings
Havant
Havering
Hay wards Heath
Hemel Hempstead
Hereford
Hertford
Highgate
High Wycombe
Hither Green
Hounslow
Hoxton
Huddersfield
Hull
Ilford
Ilkeston
Inverness
Ipswich
Keighley
Kennington Park
Kensington
Kidderminster
Kilmarnock
Kings Lynn
Kingston
Kirkcaldy
Lancaster
Launceston
Leamington Spa
Leicester (Leicester House)
Leeds East
Leeds North
Leeds North West
Leeds West
Lincoln
Liverpool (St. Martins House)
Llangefni
London City
Lowestoft
Luton
Maidstone
Manchester Bishopsgate
Mansfield
Manchester Chorlton
Mansfield
Milton Keynes
Neasden
Newbury
New Forest
Newcastle upon Tyne (St. James)
Newham
New Malden
Nothallerton
Northampton
North Shields
Nottingham (Shakespeare St.)
Nottingham (Station St.)
Nuneaton
Norwich Chantry
Norwich Mountergate
Oldham
Oxford
Paddington
Paisley
Peckham
Penzance
Peterborough
Peterlee
Plymouth
Pontypridd
Poole
Poplar
Portsmouth North
Preston
Reading
Redditch
Redhill
Rhyl
Rochdale
Rossendale
Rotherham South
Salisbury
Salford South
Scarborough
Scunthorpe
Sheffield (Hutton Buildings)
Shrewsbury
Skelmerdale
Slough
Southampton
Southend
Southport
Southwick
St. Albans
St. Austell
St. Helens
Stevenage
Stirling
Stockport North
Stockton
Stoke
Sunderland North
Sutton
Swansea
Thames North (Scarborough St.)
Torbay
Tunbridge Wells
Uxbridge
Wakefield
Wallasey
Walsall
Walthamstow
Warrington
Watford
Wellingborough
West Bromwich
Weymouth
Wigan
Winchester
Wishaw
Woking
Wolverhampton North
Wood Green
Woolwich
Worcester
Workington
Wrexham
York

Annex 2

Clerical Processing Locations as at September 1995

Aberdeen North
Aberystwyth
Accrington
Aldershot
Ashington
Aylesbury
Ayr
Balham
Banbury
Barking
Barnet
Barnsley East
Barrow
Basildon
Bath
Bathgate
Bedford
Birmingham Ladywood
Birmingham Perry Barr
Birmingham Ravenhurst
Birmingham South Yardley
Bexley
Blackpool South
Bloomsbury
Boston
Bournemouth
Bradford West
Bristol Horfield
Bromley
Bury St. Edmunds
Caernarfon
Cambridge
Cannock
Cardiff Gabalfa
Carlisle
Chatham
Carmarthen
Chelmsford
Chester
Chichester
Colchester
Colwyn Bay
Coventry
Cricklewood
Crewe
Croydon
Cwmbran
Darlington
Dartford
Dewsbury
Derby Heritage Gate
Doncaster East
Dover
Dudley North
Dundee East
Ealing
Ebbw Vale
Edgware
Edmonton
Epsom
Edinburgh (Argyle House)
Eston
Euston
Exeter
Falkirk
Fareham
Farnworth
Fulham
Gateshead
Glasgow North
Glasgow South
Gloucester
Guildford
Halifax
Hamilton
Harlow
Harrow
Hartlepool
Hastings
Haverfordwest
Havering
Hendon
Haywards Heath
Hemel Hempstead
Hereford
Hertford
Highgate
High Wycombe
Hoxton
Huddersfield
Hull
Ilford
Inverness
Ipswich
Kings Lynn
Kingston
Lancaster
Launceston
Leamington Spa
Leicester (Wellington St.)
Leeds East
Leeds North West
Leeds West
Lincoln
Liverpool (St. Martins House)
Llangefni
London City
Lowestoft
Luton
Maidstone
Manchester Bishopsgate
Mansfield
Milton Keynes
Neasden
Newham
New Malden
Northallerton
Northampton
Nuneaton
Nottingham (Shakespeare St.)
Nottingham (Station St.)
Norwich Chantry
Oxford
Paddington
Paisley
Peckham
Penzance
Peterborough
Plymouth
Pontypridd
Poole
Poplar
Portsmouth North
Preston
Reading
Redditch
Rhyl
Rotherham South
Salisbury
Scarborough
Shrewsbury
Sheffield (Hutton Buildings)
Slough
Southampton
Southend
St. Albans
St. Austell
Stevenage
Stockport North
Stockton
Stoke (Hanley)
Sutton
Sunderland North
Swansea
Thames North (Scarborough St.)
Torbay
Tunbridge Wells
Wakefield Wallasey
Walthamstow
Warrington
Watford
Wellingborough
West Bromwich
Weymouth
Wigan
Wolverhampton North
Wood Green
Woolwich
Worcester
Workington
Wrexham
York