§ Mr. BoswellTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the annual costs to his Department were in each of the last three years of administering the downrating of benefits during hospital stays. [35580]
§ Mr. McCartneyThe Benefit Agency's administration costs are published in the Benefits Agency annual report and accounts 2000–01, copies of which are available in the Library. The costs are not broken down to the detail required, but the current estimated staff costs for administering these rules is around £0.5 million. The information is not available for previous years.