HC Deb 14 November 2000 vol 356 cc618-9W
Mr. Field

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what the mainframe problems were in the period before the duplicated payments of Income Support started [138336]

Mr. Bayley

In the week before the duplicated Income Support payments, there was only one mainframe problem directly impacting Income Support customers. Standard recovery action procedures were invoked.

Mr. Field

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if the Affinity contract ensures that any taxpayers' money lost due to errors by the private sector suppliers is recovered by those suppliers [138334]

Angela Eagle

Under the Department's contracts with EDS (who lead the Affinity Consortium), EDS is accountable for losses accrued to the Department, subject to the limits of liability set out in that contract.

All of the Department's major PFI contracts undergo a rigorous independent test to ensure an appropriate balance of risk between the Department and its suppliers.

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