HC Deb 05 May 1998 vol 311 c376W
Mr. John M. Taylor

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) if the full membership of the Disability Living Allowance Advisory Board had access to the final amended report on the future of disability living allowance and attendance allowance before its publication on 12 March; [40760]

(2) on how many occasions and on what dates the full membership of the Disability Living Allowance Advisory Board discussed the report on the future of disability living allowance and attendance allowance before its publication on 12 March. [40759]

Mr. Denham

The Chairman of the Disability Living Allowance Advisory Board informs me that the full membership of the Board were sent a near final copy of the discussion paper "The Future of Disability Living Allowance and Attendance Allowance" on 23 September 1997. The final version of the paper was sent to members at the end of November 1997 and was discussed at one full board meeting held on 9 December 1997.

Mrs. Browning

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security for what reasons her Department could not provide members of the Disability Benefits Consortium with copies of the reports(a) A Study of Disability Living Allowance and Attendance Allowance Awards, (b) First Findings from the 1996–97 Disability Follow-up to the Family Resources Survey and (c) the Disability Living Allowance Advisory Board discussion paper, the Future of Disability Living Allowance and Attendance Allowance, before her meeting with the Disability Benefits Consortium on 12 March. [39615]

Mr. Denham

The reports were published on 12 March and, following normal conventions, they were not distributed to outside bodies until Parliament had been informed. The Disability Benefits Consortium were meeting my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State during the afternoon of 12 March to discuss the Benefit Integrity Project. As a courtesy, they were given copies of the reports at the meeting and were advised that a seminar would be arranged to discuss them. The seminar took place on 27 March and the majority of the Disability Benefits Consortium attended.