§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer of 4 March,Official Report, column 561, if he will make it his policy either to answer questions regarding appeal tribunals or to refer them to the president of the Independent Tribunal Service for reply. [19907]
§ Mr. Roger EvansNo. I refer the hon. Member again to the reply that I gave him on 4 March 1997,Official Report, column 561.
It will depend upon the terms of the particular question. Matters within the statutory responsibilities of the president of the Independent Tribunal Service should be raised with him directly. Matters on the Government's policy in relation to the Independent Tribunal Service will continue to be answered by Ministers.
§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many medical members of disability appeal tribunals are involved in examining claimants for the purpose of entitlement to disability living allowance or attendance allowance. [19855]
§ Mr. EvansThe information requested is obtainable only by matching the Independent Tribunal Service's records of medical members of disability appeal tribunals against current information held by the Benefits Agency medical services.
The results of such an exercise indicate that 232 medical members of disability appeal tribunals are approved by the Benefits Agency medical services for the purposes of examining claimants in connection with claims to disability living allowance or attendance allowance.