HC Deb 03 April 1996 vol 275 cc344-5W
Mr. Cousins

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list each site in Tyne and Wear, apart from local retail offices, at which staff of(a) the Contributions Agency, (b) the Benefits Agency and (c) the Information Technology Services Agency are employed; and if he will give the numbers employed by each agency in (i) actual numbers are (ii) whole-time equivalent numbers at (1) 31 December 1994 and (2) 31 December 1995. [13283]

Mr. Heald

The information is not available in the format requested.

Such information as is available is in the table.

Contributions Agency—actual staff figures at 31 January 1995
Location Number
Longbenton 3,783
Broadway West 52
Kenton Bar 1,100
Scottish Life House 97
Hebburn 546
Lancaster House 112
Alfred Wilson House 532
Bellway 17
Durham House Nil
Emerson House Nil
Tyne View Nil
Total 6,239

Mr. Cummings

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security on how many occasions in each of the past five years Ministers in his Department have passed(a) hon. Members' letters and (b) hon. Members' questions to agencies for response; and what this figure is as a percentage of the total number of letters and questions received. [19416]

Mr. Burt

The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is in the table.

Parliamentary Questions
Session Total number PQs tabled Number answered by chief executives Percentage1
1992–93 3,244 495 15
1993–94 2,359 442 19
1994–95 2,749 389 14
1995–962 1,666 204 12

Notes:

1Rounded to nearest whole number.

2Up to 2 April 1996.

1. Figures for written answers were obtained by doing a manual count and may be subject to error.

Source: Departmental archive of written answers and ministerial correspondence.

Correspondence
Year Total correspondence Number of chief executive replies Percentage1
1994 23,193 2,388 10
1995 19,645 2,192 11

Notes:

1Rounded to nearest whole number.

1. Figures for written answers were obtained by doing a manual count and may be subject to error.

Source: Departmental archive of written answers and ministerial correspondence.

Session Total Parliamentary Questions tabled Disproportionate cost replies as a Total Not centrally available replies as a Percentage1 Total Percentage1
1992–93 3,244 117 4 17 1
1993–94 2,359 129 5 6 0
1994–95 2,749 123 4 25 1
1995–962up to 2 April 1996 1,666 126 8 11 1

Notes:

1Rounded to nearest whole number.

2Up to 2 April 1996.

Source:

Departmental archive of written answers; figures were obtained by a clerical count and may be subject to error.

Mr. Donohoe

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the total cost of answering parliamentary questions in each parliamentary Session since 1989–90. [22897]

Mr. Burt

This Department does not calculate the data requested and it could be provided only at disproportionate cost.