Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Answer to the hon. Member for Edinburgh East of 10 December 2012, Official Report, column 47W, on employment and support allowance, what average time was taken by his Department's decision makers to issue a decision to employment and support allowance claimants following receipt of advice from Atos Healthcare in the most recent year for which data is available.

The average time between the recommendation made by Atos Healthcare and the decision reached by the Department’s decision maker is 14 days. This refers to all initial decisions made on new Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) claims started in 2013.