§ Mr. MaudeTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what responsibilities which his Department had prior to the Comprehensive Spending Review are to be(a) discontinued by his Department, (b) transferred to another department, (c) transferred to an executive agency and (d) added to his Department over the period 1998–99 to 2001–02. [68398]
§ Mr. TimmsThe following changes in responsibilities relate to this Department. They demonstrate our commitment to rationalising functions across Government in order to modernise service delivery and to implement policy as effectively as possible.
The Contributions Agency will transfer from DSS to the Inland Revenue from April this year. Responsibility for policy on National Insurance contributions is also to transfer to the Inland Revenue, but the date for this has not yet been set.Family Credit and Disability Working Allowance will be replaced from October 1999 by Working Families Tax Credit and Disabled Person's Tax Credit; these will be the responsibility of the Inland Revenue. At the same time the Family Credit Unit will transfer to the Inland Revenue.From April 1999, DSS funding provision for asylum seekers is being transferred to the Home Office. This is the precursor to new Home Office support arrangements for asylum seekers.Responsibility for administration of Social Security, child support and vaccine damage payment appeals will be transferred to a new Departmental Executive Agency.Existing DSS resettlement provision for London is to be combined with provision from other Departments within a new London body in April 1999. It is proposed that the remainder of the DSS resettlement programme be transferred to the programmes of the DETR (principally the Housing Corporation) 70W in England and to the Scottish and Welsh Offices. This is consistent with the Social Exclusion Unit's proposals for a joined-up approach in its report on Rough Sleeping.The Women's Unit and the Women's National Commission (NDPD) transferred to the Cabinet Office at the end of July 1998.