§ 30. Mr. SkinnerTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if she will meet(a) representatives of unemployed workers centres and (b) others who deal with social security appeals to discuss tribunal centres. [906]
§ Mr. Keith BradleyTribunal centres are a matter for the President of the Independent Tribunal Service (ITS), His Honour Judge Bassingthwaighte, who informs me that his staff hold regular meetings with trubunal user groups which involve ITS, Benefits Agency staff and representative groups such as the Citizen's Advice Bureau and local Welfare Rights groups.
We plan to modernise the system for decision making and appeals to make it more streamlined and improve the service. We will take into account the views of those people who deal with appeals.