§ Ms WalleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people in the West Midlands are currently on the waiting list for the consideration of appeals against unsuccessful claims for disability living allowance; and if he will make a statement. [97801]
§ Mr. BayleyThe information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is as follows.
560W
Numbers of children living in households in the bottom three deciles of the income distribution by characteristics of family type and economic status in Great Britain Million Before housing costs After housing costs Bottom decile Second decile Third decile Bottom decile Second decile Third decile Total children by characteristic 1997–98 Including self-employed Two parents 1.2 1.0 0.9 1.1 0.9 1.0 9.9 One parent 0.5 0.8 0.6 0.5 1.1 0.4 2.9 Working parents 0.8 0.9 1.0 0.8 0.7 1.1 10.0 Non-working parents 0.9 1.0 0.6 0.9 1.3 0.4 2.9 Excluding self-employed Two parents 0.9 0.8 0.8 0.9 0.8 0.8 8.3 One parent 0.5 0.8 0.6 0.6 1.0 0.4 2.9 Working parents 0.5 0.7 0.8 0.5 0.6 0.9 8.3 Non-working parents 0.9 0.9 0.5 1.0 1.2 0.4 2.9 1996–97 Including self-employed Two parents 1.2 1.0 0.9 1.2 1.0 0.9 10.0 One parent 0.5 0.9 0.7 0.5 1.1 0.5 3.0 Working parents 0.7 0.8 0.9 0.7 0.7 1.0 9.7 Non-working parents 1.0 1.1 0.7 1.0 1.4 0.5 3.3 Excluding self-employed Two parents 1.0 0.8 0.7 0.9 0.8 0.7 8.4 One parent 0.5 0.8 0.6 0.5 1.1 0.5 2.9 Working parents 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.4 0.6 0.8 8.1 Non-working parents 1.0 1.0 0.6 1.0 1.3 0.5 3.2 1995–96 Including self-employed Two parents l.2 0.9 0.9 1.2 0.9 0.9 9.8 One parent 0.3 0.8 0.7 0.4 1.0 0.6 2.8 Working parents 0.7 0.7 0.9 0.7 0.6 0.9 9.5 Non-working parents 0.9 1.0 0.7 0.9 1.3 0.6 3.2 The number of Disability Living Allowance appeals awaiting hearing in the area handled by the Birmingham office of the Independent Tribunal Service/The Appeals Service (ITS/TAS) was 1,421 at the end of October 1999, the latest period for which figures are available. In addition the Disability Benefits Centre in the Midlands, which covers the West Midlands Area, has 70 cases being prepared for referral to the ITS/TAS.
The Appeals Service remains committed to improving the service it offers to the users of its service and has put in place measures systematically to tackle its oldest cases while ensuring that waiting times for newer appeals are reduced. These measures have seen outstanding loads nationally (for all appeals) fall from 138,827 at the beginning of the current financial year to 68,850 at the end of September, the latest period for which national figures are available.