Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reasons her Department took the decision to undertake an internal review into the handling of the case of Stephen Smith in private after his death having been found by her Department as fit for work.

Internal Process Reviews (IPR) were established as an internal continuous improvement tool and take place when it is considered that objective scrutiny would be beneficial. Its purpose is to examine DWP processes and how they were followed. If appropriate they can also identify recommendations for changes. IPRs contain sensitive personal information and are not suitable for disclosure in the public domain.