HC Deb 10 November 1998 vol 319 cc164-6W
Mr. Donohoe

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many examinations for disability living allowance and incapacity benefit have been processed by the Glasgow office of the Benefits Agency medical services in each of the last 12 months. [58270]

Mr. Timms

The administration of Social Security benefits is a matter for Peter Mathison, the Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to my hon. Friend.

Letter from Peter Mathison to Mr. Brian H. Donohoe, dated 9 November 1998: The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many examinations for Disability Living Allowance (DLA) and Incapacity Benefit (IB) have been processed by the Glasgow office of the Benefits Agency Medical Services (BAMS) in each of the last 12 months. A decision to contract BAMS out to the private sector was announced by the Secretary of State on 31 July 1997. This decision was in line with the Government's commitment to modernising the delivery of Social Security to make it better, simpler, and more efficient. On 19 February it was announced that the BAMS contract had been awarded to the Sema Group for the next five years. They continue to use the Glasgow Medical Services Centre for medical examinations. Information about the number of DLA and IB examinations carried out at the Glasgow Medical Services Centre is given on the attached table.

Number of DLA/IB examinations performed at the Glasgow Medical Services Centre
Month DLA IB
October 1997 1,635 4,082
November 1997 2,503 4,672
December 1997 1,548 4,388
January 1998 2,108 4,548
February 1998 1,974 4,175
March 1998 1,882 4,879
April 1998 1,274 4,338
May 1998 1,650 3,919
June 1998 1,852 4,521
July 1998 1,609 4,117
August 1998 1,605 3,817
September 1998 1,273 3,628

Note

Figures are provisional and subject to change

Source

Figures provided by Medical Services on behalf of Sema Group

Mr. Oaten

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what evidence was evaluated by his Department prior to determining the age limit of three years for the mobility component of disability living allowance. [58569]

Mr. Timms

The Government took account of the views of medical advisers as well as research by the then Office for Population, Censuses and Surveys, by the Disability Alliance and by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation.

Mr. Oaten

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many children are expected to benefit from the extension of the mobility component of disability living allowance to children of three and four years old; and what estimate he has made of the number who would benefit if it was extended to children below the age of three years and of the cost to his Department of that extension. [58573]

Mr. Timms

8,000 children a year are expected to benefit from the extension of the higher rate mobility component of Disability Living Allowance to children of the ages of three and four. The cost of extending this to disabled children under three is difficult to estimate given that the current criteria for help is based primarily on an inability or virtual inability to walk, and that all children under three are unable to walk any substantial distances.