§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Secretary of "State for Social Services whether he will give the total actual or estimated costs of an appeal made to medical tribunals against cuts or reductions in medical benefits, and a breakdown of these costs; and state whether, where the costs of such tribunals are likely to be more than the suggested cuts in benefits, he will maintain benefits to the claimant.
§ Mr. PrenticeThe estimated gross cost of the treatment of an appeal to a medical appeal tribunal is £150. The net cost of dealing with an individual appeal, that is excluding the standing costs of operating the tribunals, is estimated to be £50.
Medical appeal tribunals deal with appeals against decisions by medical boards. Both these bodies are independent adjudicating authorities and benefits can be paid only in accordance with their decisions on diagnosis and disablement. It would be wrong to introduce a cost element into the consideration of such matters of medical fact.