§ Ms MowlamTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many housing benefit internal reviews were received by each borough in Cleveland during 1990, 1991 and 1992; how many review boards were held by each borough during the period; and how many(a) social security appeal tribunals and (b) medical appeal tribunals were held for the county in this period.
§ Mr. BurtThe information available is in the tables.
The following figures have been provided by the local authorities concerned:
§ Mr. BurtThis Department is responsible for the scope and structure of the housing benefit scheme, but the day to day administration is the resonsibility of individual local authorities. Quality of service is a local matter, as for all local authority services. Ministers and the departmental accounting officer are involved if the statutory requirements of the housing benefit scheme are not being implemented or if central Government funds are not being properly administered or accounted for.
Information on the average length of time taken to process a housing benefit claim is not available. However, during 1991–92, Chelmsford borough council processed 11 per cent of all claims for housing benefit within 14 days of receipt of all the necessary information.