HC Deb 03 December 1991 vol 200 cc126-7W
Mr. Gale

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will set out tables indicating, for the last 12 months for which figures are available, for appeals involving each of mobility allowance and disability allowance(a) the number of adjudicating officials involved and their costs, (b) the number of consequent social security appeals tribunals held and their costs,(c) the number of medical practitioners retained by his Department and their total costs, (d) the total costs of the social security commissioners also engaged in these cases, (e) the total number of appeals heard, (f) the total number of appeals granted and (g) the total costs of the awards made.

Mr. Scott

The information requested is as follows(a) The Mobility Allowance (Mob. A) appeals unit has a staff of six who are involved in the preparation of appeals for both Medical and Social Security Appeal Tribunals. For Severe Disablement Allowance (SDA) the information is not readily available and could he obtained only at disproportionate cost. (b) The information is in the following table. (c) The Department retains a total of between 6,000–6,500 medical practitioners at any one time. Figures are not available to show the numbers who work solely on Mobility Allowance and Severe Disablement Allowance. Information on the cost of using medical practitioners is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. (d) I understand from the Lord Chancellor's Department that the information requested is not available. (e) The information is in the following table. (f) The information is in the following table. (g) The information requested is not available.

Mobility Allowance Severe Disablement Allowance
Medical Appeal Tribunals appeals heard 12 months ending 31 March 1991 7,242 1,468
Appeals granted 2,552 589
Social Security Appeal Tribunals appeals heard 12 months ending 31 March 1991 1,612 142
Appeals granted 45 65
Average cost per Medical Appeal Tribunals appeal 189 1£n/a
Average cost per Social Security Appeal Tribunals appeal 188 1£n/a
1 This information is not readily available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.