Scotch whisky is a significant contributor to the UK’s overall food and drink exports. In 2018, whisky exports reached a record £4.8bn, representing over 21% of total food and drink exports. This is an increase of 9.1% on 2017. The largest export market, USA, recorded export sales of £1.06bn, an increase of 12.4%.

I have regular meetings with my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister, who has been unwavering in her passionate support for our Union. We have regularly discussed the UK Government’s continued commitment to the devolution settlement and to a strong Scotland within a strong United Kingdom.

To gather this information, each claim would have to be looked at individually, therefore could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

The information requested is not collated centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

Informal observations form part of the suite of evidence used by Health Professionals at the face to face assessment to help Case Managers determine entitlement to benefit, along with medical evidence, history of conditions, social and occupational history, functional history including the ‘typical day’ and the functional examination.

More information can be found at paragraph 1.6 in the Personal Independence Payment Assessment Guide at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/personal-independence-payment-assessment-guide-for-assessment-providers/pip-assessment-guide-part-1-the-assessment-process#carrying-out-pip-assessments

The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

Informal observations form part of the suite of evidence used by Health Professionals at the face to face assessment to help Case Managers determine entitlement to benefit, along with medical evidence, history of conditions, social and occupational history, functional history including the ‘typical day’ and the functional examination.

More information can be found at paragraph 1.6 in the Personal Independence Payment Assessment Guide at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/personal-independence-payment-assessment-guide-for-assessment-providers/pip-assessment-guide-part-1-the-assessment-process#carrying-out-pip-assessments

The Department does not hold the data requested on the disability of a Personal Independence Payment (PIP) claimant at the point of registration (application) for a claim. Data on a PIP claimant’s condition is not recorded until the claimant attends an assessment.

The latest available data on PIP clearances can be broken down by main disabling condition for both new claims and DLA reassessment claims for those that attended an assessment (awarded and disallowed post referral to the AP due to failing assessment), for each month from the introduction of PIP in April 2013 to the last available data in April 2019. Data can also be split by geographical area within Great Britain (region).

Stat-Xplore can be found at https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/

Guidance on how to use Stat-Xplore can be found here: https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/index.html

Please note that the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) is only responsible for benefits in Great Britain. Social security benefits, including PIP, are a devolved matter in Northern Ireland and your questions regarding PIP in Northern Ireland should be directed at the Department of Communities in Northern Ireland.

The information requested on Personal Independence Payment (PIP) mandatory reconsiderations (MR) and appeals for claimants with a primary disabling condition of Multiple Sclerosis in Scotland, Wales and England can be found in the tables below.

The Northern Irish Assembly has devolved responsibility for social security benefits. The responsibility for statistics in Northern Ireland lies with the Department for Communities: http://www.communities-ni.gov.uk

Since PIP was introduced 4.1m decisions have been made up to March 2019, of these 10% have been appealed and 5% have been overturned.

Reassessments from Disability Living Allowance (DLA) to PIP.

Table 1: The number of Initial Decisions, MRs and appeals for reassessment claims to PIP with a main disabling condition of multiple sclerosis, Scotland.

Table 2: The number of Initial Decisions, MRs and appeals for reassessment claims to PIP with a main disabling condition of multiple sclerosis, Wales.

Table 3: The number of Initial Decisions, MRs and appeals for reassessment claims to PIP with a main disabling condition of multiple sclerosis, England.

New Claims to PIP.

Table 4: The number of Initial Decisions, MRs and appeals for PIP new claims with a main disabling condition of multiple sclerosis, Scotland.

Table 5: The number of Initial Decisions, MRs and appeals for PIP new claims with a main disabling condition of multiple sclerosis, Wales.

Table 6: The number of Initial Decisions, MRs and appeals for PIP new claims with a main disabling condition of multiple sclerosis, England.

Source: PIP Computer System

All data rounded to the nearest 10. # refers to where there are less than 5 cases.

Components may not sum to totals due to rounding.

In the application process, claimants’ primary disabling condition is only recorded for collation by the Department at assessment.

Data is based on primary disabling condition as recorded on the PIP computer systems. Claimants may often have multiple disabling conditions upon which the decision is based but only the primary condition is shown in these statistics.

The geography relates to the origin of the claim (i.e. derived from claimant’s postcode).

PIP data includes normal rules and special rules for the terminally ill claimants.

Some decisions which are changed at MR, and where the claimant continues to appeal for a higher PIP award, are then changed again at tribunal appeal. Therefore the number of people who had a decision changed at MR and the number of people who had a decision changed at tribunal appeal cannot be added together.

Lapsed appeals are where DWP changed the decision after an appeal was lodged but before it was heard at Tribunal.

Claimants who have received benefit decisions more recently may not yet have had time to complete the claimant journey and progress to an MR and appeal.

The information requested on Personal Independence Payment (PIP) mandatory reconsiderations (MR) and appeals for claimants with a primary disabling condition of Multiple Sclerosis in Scotland, Wales and England can be found in the tables below.

The Northern Irish Assembly has devolved responsibility for social security benefits. The responsibility for statistics in Northern Ireland lies with the Department for Communities: http://www.communities-ni.gov.uk

Since PIP was introduced 4.1m decisions have been made up to March 2019, of these 10% have been appealed and 5% have been overturned.

Reassessments from Disability Living Allowance (DLA) to PIP.

Table 1: The number of Initial Decisions, MRs and appeals for reassessment claims to PIP with a main disabling condition of multiple sclerosis, Scotland.

Table 2: The number of Initial Decisions, MRs and appeals for reassessment claims to PIP with a main disabling condition of multiple sclerosis, Wales.

Table 3: The number of Initial Decisions, MRs and appeals for reassessment claims to PIP with a main disabling condition of multiple sclerosis, England.

New Claims to PIP.

Table 4: The number of Initial Decisions, MRs and appeals for PIP new claims with a main disabling condition of multiple sclerosis, Scotland.

Table 5: The number of Initial Decisions, MRs and appeals for PIP new claims with a main disabling condition of multiple sclerosis, Wales.

Table 6: The number of Initial Decisions, MRs and appeals for PIP new claims with a main disabling condition of multiple sclerosis, England.

Source: PIP Computer System

All data rounded to the nearest 10. # refers to where there are less than 5 cases.

Components may not sum to totals due to rounding.

In the application process, claimants’ primary disabling condition is only recorded for collation by the Department at assessment.

Data is based on primary disabling condition as recorded on the PIP computer systems. Claimants may often have multiple disabling conditions upon which the decision is based but only the primary condition is shown in these statistics.

The geography relates to the origin of the claim (i.e. derived from claimant’s postcode).

PIP data includes normal rules and special rules for the terminally ill claimants.

Some decisions which are changed at MR, and where the claimant continues to appeal for a higher PIP award, are then changed again at tribunal appeal. Therefore the number of people who had a decision changed at MR and the number of people who had a decision changed at tribunal appeal cannot be added together.

Lapsed appeals are where DWP changed the decision after an appeal was lodged but before it was heard at Tribunal.

Claimants who have received benefit decisions more recently may not yet have had time to complete the claimant journey and progress to an MR and appeal.

The information requested on Personal Independence Payment (PIP) mandatory reconsiderations (MR) and appeals for claimants with a primary disabling condition of Multiple Sclerosis in Scotland, Wales and England can be found in the tables below.

The Northern Irish Assembly has devolved responsibility for social security benefits. The responsibility for statistics in Northern Ireland lies with the Department for Communities: http://www.communities-ni.gov.uk

Since PIP was introduced 4.1m decisions have been made up to March 2019, of these 10% have been appealed and 5% have been overturned.

Reassessments from Disability Living Allowance (DLA) to PIP.

Table 1: The number of Initial Decisions, MRs and appeals for reassessment claims to PIP with a main disabling condition of multiple sclerosis, Scotland.

Table 2: The number of Initial Decisions, MRs and appeals for reassessment claims to PIP with a main disabling condition of multiple sclerosis, Wales.

Table 3: The number of Initial Decisions, MRs and appeals for reassessment claims to PIP with a main disabling condition of multiple sclerosis, England.

New Claims to PIP.

Table 4: The number of Initial Decisions, MRs and appeals for PIP new claims with a main disabling condition of multiple sclerosis, Scotland.

Table 5: The number of Initial Decisions, MRs and appeals for PIP new claims with a main disabling condition of multiple sclerosis, Wales.

Table 6: The number of Initial Decisions, MRs and appeals for PIP new claims with a main disabling condition of multiple sclerosis, England.

Source: PIP Computer System

All data rounded to the nearest 10. # refers to where there are less than 5 cases.

Components may not sum to totals due to rounding.

In the application process, claimants’ primary disabling condition is only recorded for collation by the Department at assessment.

Data is based on primary disabling condition as recorded on the PIP computer systems. Claimants may often have multiple disabling conditions upon which the decision is based but only the primary condition is shown in these statistics.

The geography relates to the origin of the claim (i.e. derived from claimant’s postcode).

PIP data includes normal rules and special rules for the terminally ill claimants.

Some decisions which are changed at MR, and where the claimant continues to appeal for a higher PIP award, are then changed again at tribunal appeal. Therefore the number of people who had a decision changed at MR and the number of people who had a decision changed at tribunal appeal cannot be added together.

Lapsed appeals are where DWP changed the decision after an appeal was lodged but before it was heard at Tribunal.

Claimants who have received benefit decisions more recently may not yet have had time to complete the claimant journey and progress to an MR and appeal.

The information requested on Personal Independence Payment (PIP) mandatory reconsiderations (MR) and appeals for claimants with a primary disabling condition of Multiple Sclerosis in Scotland, Wales and England can be found in the tables below.

The Northern Irish Assembly has devolved responsibility for social security benefits. The responsibility for statistics in Northern Ireland lies with the Department for Communities: http://www.communities-ni.gov.uk

Since PIP was introduced 4.1m decisions have been made up to March 2019, of these 10% have been appealed and 5% have been overturned.

Reassessments from Disability Living Allowance (DLA) to PIP.

Table 1: The number of Initial Decisions, MRs and appeals for reassessment claims to PIP with a main disabling condition of multiple sclerosis, Scotland.

Table 2: The number of Initial Decisions, MRs and appeals for reassessment claims to PIP with a main disabling condition of multiple sclerosis, Wales.

Table 3: The number of Initial Decisions, MRs and appeals for reassessment claims to PIP with a main disabling condition of multiple sclerosis, England.

New Claims to PIP.

Table 4: The number of Initial Decisions, MRs and appeals for PIP new claims with a main disabling condition of multiple sclerosis, Scotland.

Table 5: The number of Initial Decisions, MRs and appeals for PIP new claims with a main disabling condition of multiple sclerosis, Wales.

Table 6: The number of Initial Decisions, MRs and appeals for PIP new claims with a main disabling condition of multiple sclerosis, England.

Source: PIP Computer System

All data rounded to the nearest 10. # refers to where there are less than 5 cases.

Components may not sum to totals due to rounding.

In the application process, claimants’ primary disabling condition is only recorded for collation by the Department at assessment.

Data is based on primary disabling condition as recorded on the PIP computer systems. Claimants may often have multiple disabling conditions upon which the decision is based but only the primary condition is shown in these statistics.

The geography relates to the origin of the claim (i.e. derived from claimant’s postcode).

PIP data includes normal rules and special rules for the terminally ill claimants.

Some decisions which are changed at MR, and where the claimant continues to appeal for a higher PIP award, are then changed again at tribunal appeal. Therefore the number of people who had a decision changed at MR and the number of people who had a decision changed at tribunal appeal cannot be added together.

Lapsed appeals are where DWP changed the decision after an appeal was lodged but before it was heard at Tribunal.

Claimants who have received benefit decisions more recently may not yet have had time to complete the claimant journey and progress to an MR and appeal.

The Scotch Whisky industry provides vital employment and investment to communities across Scotland. It is estimated that 7,000 people are directly employed by the industry in rural areas of Scotland.

More than 10,500 people are directly employed in the Scotch Whisky industry in Scotland, and over 42,000 jobs across the UK are supported by the industry.

The Department's default is competition, and this is the case for the SKYNET 6 Enduring Capability project. The SKYNET 6 team continually reinforces this message directly with industry through conferences, industry briefing days and in regular 1-2-1 meetings with key industrial partners.

The Government understands the importance of accessible on-board information in helping bus passengers to travel with confidence, and in Summer 2018 published a public consultation on proposals to require its provision on local bus services throughout Great Britain.

We continue to analyse responses to the consultation and expect to announce our next steps regarding the making of Regulations and publication of guidance later in the year.

The Department is following the Small to Medium Enterprise principles outlined in the National Security Through Technology 2012 white paper. The SKYNET 6 Programme is taking a very proactive approach to incentivise and incorporate SMEs across the whole programme.

The current SKYNET 5 programme already exceeds the 25% SME target which provides a strong foundation for the SKYNET 6 programme.