§ Mr. Skinnerasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many trade 335W union representatives serving, voluntarily, on supplementary benefit appeals tribunals will be relieved of their duties on 1st July, 1971, in the United Kingdom, and by regions, respectively.
§ Mr. DeanThis information is not yet available. I will write to the hon. Member when the reconstitution of the Tribunals has been completed.
§ Mr. Skinnerasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what centres will be used for the supplementary benefits appeals tribunals as newly constituted from 1st July, 1971, in the East Midland and East Anglian region; and which centres will no longer be used.
§ Mr. DeanThe proposed centres for the supplementary benefit appeals tribunals in the East Midland and East Anglia region from 1st July, 1971, are as follows:
Cambridge. Lincoln. Chesterfield. Lowestoft. Derby. Mansfield. Great Yarmouth. Northampton. Ipswich. Norwich. King's Lynn. Nottingham. Leicester. Peterborough. The following centres will no longer be used:
Boston. Bury St. Edmunds. Grantham.
§ Mr. Skinnerasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what will be the average distance appellants to the newly constituted supplementary benefits appeals tribunals will travel compared to the present system, taking into account the proposed 20 per cent. reduction in the number of centres.
§ Mr. DeanThis information could be obtained on a national basis only by special studies to determine how far each appellant lives from the appropriate Tribunal centre. I do not think that the results would justify the work involved. Local situations are always investigated before local tribunal arrangements are decided.