§ Mr. CousinsTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was his Department's expenditure on(a) computer hardware, (b) related buildings, (c) related equipment, (d) computer systems, (e) computer services and (f) computer applications (i) directly or (ii) indirectly sourced for (1) the Benefits Agency, (2) the Contributions Agency and (3) the Information Technology Services Agency in each year since 1990 separately identifying planned and outturn expenditure. [24194]
§ Mr. BurtThe details of the Department's total computer related expenditure are in the table. Information on the expenditure of individual DSS agencies is available only at disproportionate cost.
In February 1985, the Government announced their intention to work towards the closure of DSS re-establishment centres and resettlement units. It was decided that all funds used to run the RECs and RUs would be directed towards the establishment of new resettlement provision. The fundamental principle of this replacement programme was that new provision had to be established without any increase in the DSS's resettlement budget, apart from annual inflation increases approved by the Treasury. This principle remains in force.