§ Mr. FrenchTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he has any plans to improve the rate at which claims for invalid care allowance and attendance allowance are processed; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. ScottThe necessary processes involved in considering an attendance allowance claim are such that we do not envisage any significant short-term improvements in the clearance times reported in my answer to my hon. Friend on 5 July at columns512–13. But we are seeking substantial short-term improvements in invalid care allowance clearance times. For both benefits we will be studying whether increased use of computer technology will lead to long-term improvements in processing times.