§ Mr. ChurchillTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people were employed in the War Pensions Agency in(a) 1985, (b) 1990 and (c) 1995 and (d) in the current year; and at what cost at constant prices. [13450]
§ Mr. HealdThese are matters for Mr. Kevin Caldwell, chief executive of the War Pensions Agency. He will write to the hon. Member.
Letter from K. C. Caldwell to Mr. Winston Churchill, dated 30 January, 1997:
The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the numbers of people employed in the War Pensions Agency in 1985, 1990, 1995 and also in the current year.Comparable staffing and paybill figures for this Agency for the years 1985 and 1990 are not available. The War Pensions Agency began operating in April 1994. Before that staff numbers were included in the Benefits Agency complement and before 1991 in the Department of Social Security figures.The average number of staff employed by this Agency in 1995/1996 was 1648 and for 1996/97 it is 1346. This reduction in staff numbers is due to the decreasing intake of work and the investment in modern technology, notably the War Pensions Computer System introduced in late 1995.The Agency paybill for 1994/1995 was £26,447,348 and for 1996/97 it is £21,967,048 (at constant 1996/97 prices).I hope you find my reply helpful.