§ Mr. TrickettTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he has for the mobile information unit; what is the current financial value of this unit; what has been the expenditure on the unit
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Percentage withdrawal of benefit following all work test referrals to Benefits Agency medical services April 1995 to May 1996 Local office May June July August September October November December January February March April May Greenock 0 1.3 13.3 11.4 20 11.8 22.3 15.1 12.9 10.4 8.7 14.4 11.6 Port Glasgow 0 4 14.1 23.1 13.8 9.6 20.3 14 — — — — — Motherwell 0 5.2 23 25.6 18.2 10.9 11.2 18.4 29.7 29.3 18.7 6.5 16 Hamilton 0 9 19.7 19.9 16.6 33.3 16.8 6.2 24.9 28.3 21.4 12.3 23.9 Coatbridge 0 3.9 24.2 16.1 15.9 17.5 15.2 22.5 25.7 9.2 23.7 12 17.4 Airdrie 0 2.8 19.2 17.2 15.6 13.3 9.4 23.6 24.1 8.5 20.8 6.9 — Edinburgh South 0 2.6 3.9 3.1 3.6 4.4 4.9 10 5.9 2.7 2.4 2.9 3.8 Edinburgh East 0 1.3 6 16.9 9.9 3.1 26.8 28.1 9 9.8 11.3 17.3 25.1 Galashiels 0 7 11.6 6.7 11.9 9.4 11.3 14 13.9 16.1 11 15.7 17.9 Kirkcaldy 0 2 11 9.3 9.7 18.2 30.6 25 18.2 22.6 30 23 19.5 Cowdenbeath 2.7 13 0 24.6 21.2 22.8 30 10.2 25.8 18.6 20.1 12.5 8.3 Leven 3.3 9.2 10.8 9.8 18.3 21.2 17.6 25 11.9 14.1 14.2 12.9 19.5 Dunfermiline 0 7.4 7.3 25.7 12.9 20 11.4 19.6 9.3 11.9 15.3 15.7 15 Stirling 0 2.6 9 8.1 8.2 8.4 18.1 16.6 15.6 15.2 12 8.1 15.3 Falkirk 0 2.7 3.5 12.9 12 24.6 17.6 12.7 11.3 15.9 10.5 10.4 10.7 over the last five years; and how many residents the mobile information unit has been in contact with over the last five years. [33026]
§ Mr. Roger EvansThis is a matter for Peter Mathison, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member.
Letter from Peter Mathison to Mr. Jon Trickett, dated 24 June 1996:
The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking what plans he has for the Mobile Information Unit (MIU); what is the current financial value of this unit; what has been the expenditure on the unit over the last five years; and with how many residents the MIU has been in contact with over the last five years.
I have assumed that the MIU you refer to in your question is the MIU in Wakefield. The information is not available in the format requested. This is because the MIU for Wakefield was registered in December 1994, prior to this a unit was run by Kirklees District and covered a wider geographical area, serving several Districts.
A review of the customer services provided within the Yorkshire Area is ongoing. However, the MIU service in Wakefield has been suspended with effect from 3 June although a final decision on its future has not been made.
The current value of the MIU is estimated at £13,000.
The attached Annex gives details of expenditure and the number of customers seen.
I hope you find this reply helpful.
Mobile information unit—Wakefield Period Staff costs(£) Operating costs 1(£) Number of customers seen 1994–95 (from December 1994) 10,631 1,580.78 1,992 1995–96 31,988 9,745.60 10.814 1996–97 (to June 1996) 5,315 4,657.37 1,503 Data is provisional and subject to amendment. 1 Operating costs including maintenance, garaging, diesel and valeting.