Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reasons his Department is not permitting Capita to provide dual-tape deck recorders for use by claimants of personal independence payments who want their assessment to be recorded.

The recording of consultations by assessment providers is not part of the contractual specification for Personal Independence Payment assessments.

However, claimants can ask to record their own assessment, provided they comply with the conditions put in place: They must:

· inform the provider in advance;

· be able to provide a complete and accurate copy of the (CD/Audio cassette only) recording to the Health Professional at the end of the consultation; and

· sign a declaration form to agree that they will not use the recording for any unlawful purpose.