§ Mr. WigleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if she will list(a) the terms of the moratorium which will apply to the Benefits Agency (Wales) 494W Blueprint for the Future and (b) the mechanism for undertaking a review of this and other Benefits Agency change proposals. [1727]
§ Mr. FieldThe "Benefits Agency Wales - Blueprint for the Future" consultation document was published on 15 November 1996 and the period of public consultation was extended to 28 February 1997, to ensure that Benefits Agency customers and their representatives were able to make the representations that they wished on the consultation document.
These representations will be considered by Ministers in due course, and announcements will be made in the light of these considerations.
We will be assessing our proposals in the light of this document, and also each of the proposed Benefits Agency initiatives which are part of the Department's current programme of changes to ensure that they will provide the improved services, better security and value for money that we want to see in a modernised Social Security system. Announcements will be made in due course.