§ Mr. Chris SmithTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to the answer of 11 November,Official Report, column 85, what further discussions he has held in respect of the proposal to close the Benefits Agency out of hours service; and what assessment he has made of the impact the closure will have on the health of recipients. [5468]
§ Mr. Roger EvansThe administration of income support 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. Chris Smith, dated 26 November 1996:
The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking pursuant to his reply of 11th November, Official Report, column 86, what further discussions he has held in respect of the proposal to close the Benefits Agency out-of-hours service; and what assessment he has made of the impact the closure will have on the health of recipients.The meeting with the Department of Health and the Scottish Office took place on 6 November. The Department of Environment were not represented. The financial implications of the proposed closure of Out-of-Hours Service were fully discussed and the Department of Health and the Scottish Office took the issues away for further analysis. We are currently awaiting their written response.All relevant factors and information will be considered before the decision on the future level of the service is made.I hope you find this reply helpful.