Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much it cost to prepare the Senior President of the Tribunals’ annual report on the performance of decision-making in the Ministry of Justice, in each of the last ten years.

Section 15A of the Social Security Act 1998 requires the Senior President of Tribunals, annually, to make a written report on the standards achieved by the Secretary of State for Work & Pensions in the making of decisions against which an appeal is made to the First-tier Tribunal (Social Entitlement Chamber – Social Security and Child Support). That report must be published by the Lord Chancellor.

The duty to report was discharged by the President of the Appeals Tribunal prior to the implementation of the Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007. The Senior President of Tribunals has delegated this responsibility to the President of the Social Entitlement Chamber since the implementation of the Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007.

Preparation of the report costs approximately £20,000 in judicial time each year; however, this is within their salaried hours, so there is no additional cost beyond their salary. There are some associated printing costs but records of these are not held centrally.