§ Mr. Frank FieldTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the average length of time between the receipt of an appeal by the war pensions unit and the submission of the statement of case to the pensions appeal tribunal; and how this compares with past years.
§ Mr. PortilloInformation is not kept in the form requested. The average time between receipt of an appeal and the despatch of the statement of case to the appellant is currently 54 weeks. For 1987, 1986 and 1985 the times were 52 weeks, 48 weeks and 40 weeks respectively.
§ Mr. Frank FieldTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Services how many appeals by war pensioners have been awaiting a submission of a statement of case to the pensions appeal tribunal for more than three months.
§ Mr. PortilloAbout 4,700 appeals have been outstanding for more than three months.