§ Mr. Fieldasked the Secretary of State for Social Services in respect of appeals to the Social Security Commissioners from supplementary benefit appeal tribunals (a) how many decisions have been numbered by the commissioners as giving guidance on the interpretation of the new rules, (b) how many of these numbered decisions have been distributed to the Department's regional offices (c) how many of them have been distributed to the Department's local offices, (d) how many have been distributed to chairmen of appeal tribunals and (e) how many have been distributed to members of tribunals.
§ Mrs. ChalkerThe information requested is as follows. As at 20 November 1981, there were 33 numbered decisions of the Social Security Commissioners relating to supplementary benefit. Copies have been distributed to regional offices of the Department and to senior chairmen of supplementary benefit appeal tribunals. Sixteen of these decisions have been selected by the Chief Commissioner for reporting as decisions dealing with questions of legal principle and commanding the assent of a majority of commissioners. Printed copies of the reported decisions will shortly be available and then will be distributed simultaneously to benefit officers and to chairmen of supplementary benefit appeal tribunals. They will also be put on sale to the public through Her Majesty's Stationery Office.
The nature of reported, numbered and un-numbered decisions was described in the decision of a tribunal of Commissioners (R (I) 12/75), a copy of which is available in the Library of the House.