§ Mr. RedmondTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Don Valley, on 24 April,Official Report, column 155, if he will list by year for the last 10 years for social security appeal tribunals in the North-East England region, the cost of hearing successful claimant appeals in respect of (a) disablement benefit and (b) mobility allowance; and if he will show in his answer for each category, and by year, how much the successful claimants appeals were worth financially.
§ Mrs. Gillian ShephardThe figures quoted are current costs for Great Britain and apply whether an appeal is successful or unsuccessful. The current average cost of a social security appeal tribunal hearing in relation to disablement benefit is £187. The current average cost of a medical appeal tribunal hearing in relation to disablement benefit is £120 in respect of the tribunal alone. The administrative cost of preparing the submission to the tribunal with supporting medical evidence is usually much greater involving as it can the obtaining of consultants' reports. The complexities of each case vary enormously and detailed costings could be supplied only at disproportionate cost but the administrative cost is estimated to be in the region of £700. The current average cost of a social security appeal tribunal hearing in relation to a mobility allowance is £178. The current average cost of a medical appeal tribunal hearing in relation to mobility allowance is £185. I regret that records are not kept of the amount of benefit paid as a result of favourable decisions.