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Mr. Rooker
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will set out the powers under which he proposes to change the social security order payments book for plastic smart card; and if he will make a statement on the proposed timetable of the change. [37093]
Mr. Heald
Section 5(1)(i) of the Social Security Administration Act 1992 provides that the Secretary of State may make regulations which
"provide for the … manner in which a benefit … is to be paid and for the information and evidence to be furnished in connection with the payment … "
Regulation 20A of the Social Security (Claims and Payments) Regulations 1987, inserted by Regulation 4 of
SI 1994/3196 was made under the above power and provides, in effect, for benefit payments to be made on production of a card. We anticipate that the first benefit payment cards will be issued in 1996 with completion of the changeover in two to three years.
| Financial year | Agency | Nature of work | Value of work (estimated) £ |
| January 1990 to March 1990 | Contributions Agency | Night time security | 1,349,000 |
| April 1990 to March 1991 | Benefits Agency | Security | 725,000 |
| Contributions Agency | Day time security | 1,031,000 | |
| Information Technology Services Agency | Computer Operations Management | 12,931,000 | |
| April 1991 to March 1992 | Benefits Agency | Estates Management (London) | 1,155,000 |
| Estates Management (London) | 508,000 | ||
| April 1992 to March 1993 | Child Support Agency | Accommodation and Office Services | 2,313,000 |
| Audit | 309,000 | ||
| Training | 547,000 | ||
| April 1993 to March 1994 | Information Technology Services Agency | Audit | 1,264,000 |
| DSS Headquarters | Accommodation and Office Services | 761,000 | |
| Contributions Agency | Cleaning | 771,000 | |
| Benefits Agency | Travel Services | 211,000 | |
| Storage/Archives | 516,000 | ||
| Accommodation and Office Services | 884,000 | ||
| Training for various areas/offices: | 540,000 | ||
| 679,000 | |||
| 646,000 | |||
| 683,000 | |||
| 637,000 | |||
| 616,000 |