HC Deb 14 September 2004 vol 424 cc1560-1W
Dr. Starkey

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions in relation to applications for benefits from residents of(a) Aylesbury and (b) Milton Keynes in each year since 2000, how many applicants were required to take a medical examination; what benefits were applied for that required a medical examination; and how many of those medical examinations were undertaken at (i) Luton, (ii) Aylesbury and (iii) Euston. [187566]

Incapacity benefit claimants, whose claims were administered by Aylesbury or Milton Keynes district offices and who had medical examinations.
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004
Aylesbury 648 943 963 3057 2393
Milton Keynes 905 945 1268 779 0

Location of Medical Examination Centres carrying out examinations of incapacity benefit claimants from Aylesbury and Milton Keynes district offices.
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004
District Office: Exam Centre:
Aylesbury Aylesbury 594 827 876 1496 1331
Aylesbury Euston 0 13 9 5 8
Aylesbury Luton 21 62 59 70 52
Aylesbury Other 33 41 19 1486 1002
Total 648 943 963 3057 2393
Milton Keynes Aylesbury 816 384 662 582
Milton Keynes Euston 2 3 2 3
Milton Keynes Luton 37 491 487 158
Milton Keynes Other 50 67 117 36
Total 905 945 1268 779
Notes:
1. The Department for Work and Pensions centralised work for Milton Keynes at Aylesbury from 1 July 2003. Medical Services are therefore unable to give specific figures relaying to applicants of Milton Keynes in 2004 as all work is referred to Medical Services from Aylesbury.
2. The other category includes where a customer has had a Domiciliary visit or visited another Medical Examination Centre apart from Luton, Aylesbury or Milton Keynes.
3. The "other" category for Aylesbury district office cases in 2003 and 2004 is high as it contains 1447 (2003) and 954 (2004) customers who attended Oxford Medical Examination Centre. These customers attended Oxford as they live in Oxford but the referrals show as Aylesbury due to centralisation; the Department for Work and Pensions centralised work for Oxford at Aylesbury in 2003.
Source:
Medical Services data