§ Mr. DalyellTo ask the Attorney-General what is his assessment of the delays experienced by applicants for benefit by the Office of the Social Security Commissioners in Edinburgh in dealing with appeals.
The Attorney-GeneralIn 1990–91 the average waiting time from the elate on which appeals became ready for determination by commissioners to the notification of the decisions to the claimants was 14 months. This was caused by a backlog of appeals in the office of the social security commissioners in Edinburgh. The situation has now improved considerably and the current average waiting time is seven months.