§ Mrs. BeckettTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many officials of his Department and of what grade are engaged in drafting delegated medical officers' reasoned decisions on attendance allowance claims; and what training and guidance they receive from the Attendance Allowance Board.
§ Mr. ScottOf the officials made available to act as officers and servants of the attendance allowance board 15 (1 HEO and 14 EOs) are engaged in drafting reasoned decisions on behalf of delegated medical practitioners, from whom they receive instructions and guidance about how the decisions should be expressed. The officials are not involved in the decision-making process.
§ Mrs. BeckettTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether he will review the adjudication procedures for attendance allowance, in the light of the
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Table 1 England and Wales Structural comparisons: by proportion of total item Number of holdings accounting for given proportion of total item Item 25 per cent, of total 50 per cent, of total 75 per cent, of total Total amount of item Wheat 1988 1,800 5,600 1,300 1.8 million ha Barley 1988 2,700 8,800 20,100 1.4 million ha Dairy cows 1988 3,100 8,800 17,400 2.4 million cows Beef cows 1988 1,800 5,700 13,100 0.74 million cows Pigs (total) 1988 250 900 2,400 6.9 million pigs Sheep (total) 1988 2,800 8,600 19,500 29.7 million sheep Area: crops and grass 1988 6,200 21,500 52,100 9.5 million ha Total area 1988 5,700 20,800 52,000 11.0 million ha view expressed by the social security commissioners in decision CA/130/1988 in favour of a right of appeal to a medical appeal tribunal.
§ Mr. ScottThis is one of the aspects of the attendance allowance scheme that we shall be looking at in the light of the results of the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys disability surveys.