Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, for what reasons her Department removed the requirement to have a panel member with direct experience of disability from the personal independence payments appeals process.

The Government is investing close to £1 billion to reform and digitise our courts and tribunals to deliver swifter and more certain justice.

Technology will be at the forefront of our reforms but specific support will be provided to ensure tribunals remain accessible to all and physical hearings will be used to resolve many cases.

The proposed reforms set out in the Transforming our Justice System consultation would not change the circumstances where expert contributions are necessary to enable a tribunal to decide a case and these will continue to be important to the decision making process. As now, the Senior President of Tribunals would continue to determine when panel members are used but will be able to take account of any future changes to the way that cases are resolved.