HC Deb 09 May 1995 vol 259 cc440-2W
Ms Harman

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment (1) if he will list(a) the total number of claims made to the Employment Service which were referred to adjudication, in each case giving the reason for referral to adjudication, (b) the total amount spent on adjudication services in the Employment Service and (c) the percentage of the Employment Service budget spent on adjudication services for each year since 1988; [23047]

(2) if he will list (a) the number of claims for unemployment related benefits made to the Employment Service which are referred to adjudication and (b) the percentage of those cases where the adjudication officer has decided in favour of the Employment Service's referral, in each case giving the reason for referral to adjudication for each year since 1988. [23049]

Miss Widdecombe

Responsibility for the subject of the questions has been delegated to the Employment Service under its chief executive. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.

Letter from M. E. G. Fogden to Ms Harriet Harman, dated 9 May 1995: The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your questions about claims referred to adjudication, and about the cost of adjudication services in the Employment Service (ES). Unfortunately information is not available in the form you have requested. We record the number of adjudication decisions and opinions given rather than the number of cases referred to adjudication. Decisions are recorded as allowed, disallowed, reviewed in the claimant's favour, reviewed adversely to the claimant, referred to the Social Security Appeal Tribunal for a decision, or not reviewed. Information on the number of adjudication officer's decisions and opinions is contained in a published document entitled "Analysis of Adjudication Officers' Decisions". This provides information on all the main entitlement questions arising on claims. Copies of this document are held in the Library of the House. The latest available information relates to the quarter year to December 1994. Approximately £25.2 million was spent on adjudication services in the ES during the year April 1994 to March 1995. This figure includes the cost of salaries, general administrative expenditure, and premises costs, and represents some 2.4% of the total ES Gross Running Costs Budget for the year. I am sorry that this information is not available for the earlier years. 1994/95 was the first year for which total adjudication costs have been calculated. I hope this is helpful.