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Industrial Deafness
Mr. Pike: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what specific areas relating to industrial deafness the Industrial Injuries Advisory Council is reviewing; what progress is being made; and what other possible areas of industrial disease are being considered at present by the Industrial Injuries Advisory Council. [64974]
Mr. Timms: The Industrial Injuries Advisory Council is undertaking a review of the whole schedule of occupational diseases for which Industrial Injuries benefits are paid, except for a few diseases that they have recently examined. Their aim is to update and simplify the list of diseases, to ensure that they reflect current scientific knowledge.
The Council has set up a dedicated sub-group--the Occupational Deafness Working Group to examine occupational deafness. This is to examine all the criteria for awarding benefit for occupational deafness. The group issued a consultation paper in August 1998 to obtain views on the jobs included for benefit purposes.
When they have finished their consideration, the Industrial Injuries Advisory Council will report their conclusions and recommendations to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State. Due to the number of prescribed diseases, there is likely to be more than one report. The timing of the Council's report is a matter for them.
Mr. Ruane:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) if he will estimate the amounts of unclaimed benefits in each Welsh constituency for each of the following (a) income support by (i) pensioners and (ii) non-pensioners, (b) housing benefit by (i) local authority and (ii) private tenants, (c) council tax benefit by (i) local authority tenants, (ii) private tenants and (iii) owner occupiers, (d) family credit by (i) couples and (ii) single parents, (e) disability living allowance and (f) attendance allowance; [64659]
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Angela Eagle:
The information is not available because reliable estimates of unclaimed benefit cannot be produced at this level of detail.
Mrs. Fyfe:
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what percentage of appeals submitted (a) for a paper hearing and (b) for an oral hearing to the Independent Tribunal Service were successful in each of the last three years; and in the case of paper hearings, if he will make it a duty of the Tribunal Service (i) to avail itself of the relevant information from the appellant's general practitioner and consultants or (ii) explain to the appellant that he should obtain this information for the tribunal. [64660]
(2) if he will estimate the amount of unclaimed benefit by (a) local authority and (b) constituency in Wales in each of the past 10 years. [64655]
| Hearing type | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| All | Oral | Paper | |
| 1997 | |||
| All cases heard and decided | 22,571 | 12,577 | 9,994 |
| Percentage in appellant's favour | 30.0 | 43.6 | 12.9 |
| 1998 | |||
| All cases heard and decided | 251,321 | 170,332 | 80,989 |
| Percentage in appellant's favour | 33.9 | 43.1 | 14.5 |
Note:
The figures for 1997 represent a small number of cases due to the introduction of GAPS. Most cases heard and decided during this year (and 1996) were cleared from the old ITS computer system which did not record the oral/paper split. The figures for 1998 contain details of all hearings recorded on GAPS up to the end of October.
Source:
100 per cent. download from the ITS Generic Appeals Processing System (GAPS).
In the case of medical evidence for paper hearings, the Independent Tribunal Service (ITS) explains in a pre-hearing information leaflet sent to appellants that they are responsible for providing reports from general practitioners and consultants before the hearing. However, if further medical evidence is required by the tribunal, it is the tribunal's responsibility to obtain it. The new Appeals Service will give similar information in leaflets for appellants.
Disability Living Allowance
Mr. Denis Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security in how many cases disability living allowance has been awarded following an appeal to the Independent Tribunal Service (a) in respect of the care component of DLA, (b) in respect of the mobility component of DLA and (c) in respect of both the mobility and care components in the last three years for which figures are available. [65040]
Angela Eagle: The information is in the table.
| Year(2) | Care | Mobility | Care and mobility |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995-96 | 9,160 | 10,540 | 11,840 |
| 1996-97 | 11,350 | 12,270 | 13,700 |
| 1997-98 | 10,660 | 11,100 | 13,140 |
(2) Figures relate to 12 months ending February
Source:
Analytical Services Division: 5 per cent. data
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Pensioners (Christmas Bonuses)
Mr. Rogers: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the level of payment of Christmas bonuses to recipients of the state pension in the various member states of the European Union. [65069]
Mr. Timms: Our legislation provides that a £10 Christmas Bonus is payable to people present or ordinarily resident in the United Kingdom or any other member State, who are entitled to receive a qualifying benefit, including State Pension, in the first week in December.
No other European Union member country makes a similar lump sum payment to its pensioners. However, some member states, including Greece, Italy, Portugal and Spain make an additional payment equal to the customer's monthly pension in the month of December.
New Deal (Communities)
Mrs. Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what proposals his Department has to work with other departments to support the New Deal for Communities. [63206]
Angela Eagle: We are already working with other Government Departments to progress the New Deal for Communities. We are part of the Ministerial network which oversees its development and participate in 10 out of 18 cross-Whitehall Policy Action Teams. Working together we will develop proposals for a long-term, unified strategy to tackle the problems of our poorest neighbourhoods.
HEALTH
Pharmaceutical Packaging
Mr. Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what preparations his Department has made and what discussions it has held with the pharmaceutical industry to ensure that the European Union directives relating to pharmaceutical packaging which come into force on 1 January 1999 will be implemented in the United Kingdom; and what assessment he has made of the industry's ability to comply with the regulations. [64198]
Ms Jowell [holding answer 15 December 1998]: Numerous discussions have taken place with representatives of the pharmaceutical industry on compliance with Directive 92/27/EEC (on the labelling of medicines for human use and on package leaflets). The most recent meeting was held on 15 December 1998.
The directive requires approval of a package leaflet and labelling when market authorisation is granted or renewed. Authorisation by the Medicines Control Agency (MCA) was completed on 1 January 1999.
To facilitate effective compliance with the directive, the MCA recently consulted on proposals to require marketing authorisation holders to provide additional leaflets and labels so as to ensure that an approved label, and, where required, a leaflet would accompany every medicine dispensed to a consumer. This consultation exercise specifically sought details of the impact of these proposals on the pharmaceutical industry. The responses to this exercise are being considered.
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Mr. Chope:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects the Medicines Control Agency to decide whether to exempt 75mg strength aspirin from restrictions on pack sizes; and if he will make a statement. [64441]
Ms Jowell
[holding answer 17 December 1998]: A review of the status of 75 milligram aspirin regarding the recent pack size restrictions is currently being co-ordinated by the Medicines Control Agency.
In line with statutory requirements, expert advice is being sought from the Committee on the Safety of Medicines (CSM) and public consultation will follow shortly after. An announcement will be made when the advice of CSM and the Medicines Commission and the responses to the public consultation have been considered.
Dr. Cable:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will initiate an inquiry into the caseload of the accidents and emergency ward at West Middlesex, with particular reference to the circumstances surrounding the death of a patient in the ward on 6 December. [64931]
Mr. Denham:
We do not believe that an inquiry into the caseload of the accident and emergency department at West Middlesex University Hospital National Health Service Trust is warranted. All hospitals face winter pressures of varying degrees and Ealing, Hammersmith and Hounslow Health Authority have been allocated £2.5 million winter pressures moneys which is being spent on relieving any pressure areas, including opening additional beds when required.
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