§ Mr. RendelTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what compensation his Department has(a) sought and (b) received as a result of the delays to the ICL Pathway Project; [84250]
(2) what the original timetable was for automation of post offices for computerised delivery of social security payments under the ICL Pathway Project; and what delays are now forecast;[84252]
(3) what savings have occurred under the pilot scheme for the ICL Pathway Project; [84254]
(4) what estimate he has made of the savings as a result of the ICL Pathway Project once all post offices are automated as planned. [84251]
§ Angela EagleThe Benefits Agency, Post Office Counters Ltd. and ICL Pathway continue to work together to progress the project. Contractual and commercial matters remain confidential to the parties.
When the project was let in May 1996, it was assumed that all post offices would be automated by the end of 1998. To date, 204 post offices have been automated in the North East and South West of England. On current plans, automation will be completed int he next two years.
The payment card is estimated to have resulted in £91,000 fraud savings up to the end of March 1999. The order book control service, which enables bar-coded order books to be identified by the system, has resulted in £1.6 million in fraud savings over the same period.
It is estimated that when paper based methods of payment are fully automated, £189 million savings per annum will be achieved.