§ Mr. Terry Davisasked the Paymaster General how many claims under consideration at the adjudication office in Birmingham on 31 October had been held there for more than a month.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeThere were 1,000 such cases in the adjudication office in Birmingham on 31 October. These cases were awaiting further comment from either the claimant or the employer. The need to obtain further information inevitably tends to cause delay in deciding a claim but when an employer or a claimant does not reply within a reasonable time, a decision will generally he made on the available evidence.