HC Deb 31 January 1994 vol 236 cc584-5W
Mr. Flynn

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) for what reasons the identity of the members of the advisory panel on assessment of incapacity is regarded as confidential;

(2) if he will place in the Library copies of briefing and background papers supplied to members of the advisory panel on assessment of incapacity;

(3) whether members of the advisory panel on assessment of incapacity have access to the responses to the consultation document on the subject;

(4) if he will publish the form of invitation to join the advisory panel on assessment of incapacity.

Mr. Scott

The consultation exercise and the associated consultation document seek views from all interested parties on the proposed new, more objective, medical incapacity test. The assessment panel has been formed to help us construct incapacity scales to be used in the test. The work of the panel is an important part of the consultation exercise.

The panel is being asked to complete a series of exercises which focus on technical questions, and to give their individual expert opinions, not to act as representatives. We are not seeking to influence the decisions of panel members, and we hope they will be free from other pressures, although we do encourage them to discuss tasks with colleagues if they wish.

The panel has been drawn as widely as possible from the medical and scientific communities and from groups of and for disabled people so that a full range of views can be heard. We welcome the comments of individual panel members on the wider issues discussed in the consultation document as well as their views on the incapacity scales.

We are committed to producing a report on the results of the consultation exercise and on the new test. Parliament will then have the opportunity to consider the detail of the new test when the relevant regulations are made. This will allow the widest possible public scrutiny of the methods used.

A copy of the background paper used by the assessment panel and a form of the invitation to join the panel have been placed in the Library.