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Written Question
Personal Independence Payment: Appeals
Monday 30th June 2014

Asked by: Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Conservative - Life peer)

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent representations he has received on the length of time the personal independence payment appeals procedure takes.

Answered by Shailesh Vara

The First-tier Tribunal (Social Security and Child Support), administered by HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS), hears appeals against Department for Work and Pensions' decisions on a range of benefits, including a person's entitlement to Personal Independence Payment (PIP).

(1) Claimants for PIP can appeal to the Tribunal on a number of different grounds, such as the rate of benefit awarded. HMCTS is unable to isolate data relating to appeals solely on the basis of a claim for PIP having been refused. HMCTS does not, therefore, hold the specific information requested.

Information on all appeals against PIP decisions is published by HMCTS in Tribunal Statistics Quarterly. The most recent report for the period January to March 2014, published on 12 June 2014, can be viewed at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/tribunal-statistics-quarterly-january-to-march-2014

HMCTS has responded strongly to continue to increase the capacity of the SSCS tribunal and reduce waiting times. Initiatives have included increasing venue capacity and recruiting additional judges and medically qualified members.

This has resulted in 545,840 appeal disposals in 2013/14. This is a 17% increase compared to 2012/13 (465,500) and a 26% increase compared to 2011/12 (433,600).

(2) I receive regular representations on the SSCS appeals process which are taken into account as we keep the system under review. However, to date, I have not received any representations on the length of time the PIP appeals procedure takes.

Speech in Commons Chamber - Tue 06 May 2014
Oral Answers to Questions

"The Government have rightly said that they wish to speed up the placing of children in adoption, but will they confirm that that will not be at the expense of proper legal representation on legal aid for natural mothers who do not wish to give up their children for adoption?..."
Baroness McIntosh of Pickering - View Speech

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Written Question
Human Trafficking
Wednesday 9th April 2014

Asked by: Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Conservative - Life peer)

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what prosecutions there have been for (a) sheep rustling and (b) other crimes on farms in each of the last three years.

Answered by Damian Green

The Ministry of Justice Court Proceedings Database holds information on defendants proceeded against, found guilty and sentenced for criminal offences in England and Wales. This database holds information on offences provided by the statutes under which proceedings are brought but not the specific circumstances of each case. It is not possible to separately identify from this centrally held information offences of sheep rustling from other offences of theft. Nor is it possible to separately identify which offences occurred on a farm. This information may be held on the individual court files, which can only be checked at disproportionate cost.

Speech in Commons Chamber - Tue 18 Mar 2014
Oral Answers to Questions

"10. What assessment he has made of recent trends in the level of staffing of the Prison Service...."
Baroness McIntosh of Pickering - View Speech

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Speech in Commons Chamber - Tue 18 Mar 2014
Oral Answers to Questions

"I am grateful to my hon. Friend for that reply, particularly in regard to the closure of Northallerton prison. Can he say how many may have been affected by the use of the voluntary early departure scheme and where those currently working at Northallerton prison will be placed for future …..."
Baroness McIntosh of Pickering - View Speech

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Speech in Commons Chamber - Tue 17 Dec 2013
Oral Answers to Questions

"Does my right hon. Friend agree that there seems to be a lack of clarity in this area? For example, it would not be appropriate to refer to family mediation a case in which a woman on low income, who could not pay for legal advice, wants to protect her …..."
Baroness McIntosh of Pickering - View Speech

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Speech in Commons Chamber - Tue 08 Oct 2013
Oral Answers to Questions

"15. The prison facility in Northallerton, in the constituency of the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, which also serves Thirsk, Malton and Filey, is closing. Will those who work there be offered places elsewhere in the Prison Service, and has the Secretary of State given any thought …..."
Baroness McIntosh of Pickering - View Speech

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Speech in Commons Chamber - Thu 05 Sep 2013
Oral Answers to Questions

"What assessment has the Minister made of the conclusion that the Government will fail to reach their urban targets for rolling out superfast broadband and that rural broadband speeds will remain woefully slow?..."
Baroness McIntosh of Pickering - View Speech

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Speech in Commons Chamber - Tue 02 Jul 2013
Oral Answers to Questions

"I thank my right hon. Friend for this reply. Is he aware that one interpretation of the European convention on human rights could be that people are prevented from exercising freedom of conscience in relation to same-sex marriage in practising their profession while wanting to maintain their religious beliefs?..."
Baroness McIntosh of Pickering - View Speech

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Speech in Commons Chamber - Tue 21 May 2013
Oral Answers to Questions

"15. What recent representations he has received on the reform of legal aid; and if he will make a statement...."
Baroness McIntosh of Pickering - View Speech

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