§ Mr. Andrew SmithTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will indicate the number of availability cases referred to the social security appeals tribunal, indicating the success rate of such cases when so referred.
§ Mr. Portillo[holding answer 16 November 1987]: A total of 631 appeals were heard in Great Britain in the three months ending 31 March 1987 against the disallowance of unemployment benefit because of non availability for work, of which 212 (34 per cent.) were decided in the claimant's favour. A further 85 appeals were heard against the disallowance of unemployment benefit because the claimant had restricted his or her availability for work, of which 39 (46 per cent.) were decided in the claimant's favour.
§ Mr. Andrew SmithTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Services, (1) further to his reply of 22 October,Official Report, column 878, to what factors he attributes the increase in the numbers of disallowances between 1980 and 1986;
(2) further to the reply of 22 October, Official Report, column 878,. if he will give a breakdown of the number of disallowances for 1980 and 1986 by sex and age.
§ Mr. Lee[holding answer 16 November 1987]: Statistics of disallowances are not maintained broken down by age and sex and this information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
As regards the increase in the monthly average number of disallowances between the last quarter of 1980 and the last quarter of 1986, I regret that the figures given in the reply of 22 October should have read 3,400 and 6,400 respectively.
Without an in-depth study of availability decisions over the period, it is not possible to state definitively what factors contributed to this increase.