Closure Of Tribunal Services At Chesterfield

EDM number 354 in 1996-97, proposed by Harry Barnes on 16/12/1996.

That this House is opposed to plans by the Independent Tribunal Service to close facilities for tribunal hearings in Chesterfield; notes that 1,000 social security, disability and child support tribunals will be held in Chesterfield in 1996 and that transfers of future cases will lead to increased costs, inconvenience, disincentives for claimants to attend their own appeals and difficulties for organisations seeking to represent claimants; further notes that the closure of the Chesterfield venue follows on from closures earlier this year of facilities at Bridgend, Merthy Tydfil, Pontypridd, Gloucester, Yeovil, Huddersfield, Scunthorpe; Paisley and Mansfield, which is situated 12 miles from Chesterfield; and condemns the proposed closure of the Chesterfield venue as being contrary to the promise made to the honourable Member for Newport West in column 386 of the Official Report of 4th November 1996 by the honourable Member for Monmouth that the 'independent tribunal service has no plans to close any other venues' on top of the nine listed above.

This motion has been signed by a total of 35 MPs.