§ Mr. LathamTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will make a statement on the current waiting period for social security appeals to be heard by tribunals in the Nottingham region; what is the current number of appeals awaiting determination; and what steps are being taken to reduce the backlog.
§ Mr. PortilloThe latest available administrative statistics for the midlands region of the office of the president of social security appeal tribunals, which covers the Nottingham area, are for the second quarter of 1987. At June 1987 there were 27,398 appeals awaiting a hearing and the average time from lodgment of an appeal to the hearing in that quarter was 21.2 weeks. The president advises that in the midlands region at 12 January 1988 there were 17,301 appeals awaiting a hearing.
Responsibility for the administration of social security appeal tribunals rests with the president, his hon. Judge Byrt, QC. In response to a request from officials earlier this month, he has written a note to describe the difficulties which his organisation faces and his proposals for resolving them. Copies of that letter have been placed in the Library.