HC Deb 16 May 1944 vol 400 cc34-5
70. Mr. Mainwaring

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he can state the average length of waiting time, after notification, for a Medical Board by miners suspected to be suffering from silicosis and other chest complaints.

The Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department (Mr. Peake)

Normally the average time over all cases be- tween an application to the Medical Board and the Board's decision is 3 to 4 weeks, but at the present time, owing to the very large number of applications received from miners in South Wales, the interval in this area is considerably longer. As my right hon. Friend explained in reply to the hon. Member for Neath (Sir W. Jenkins) on 11th instant, applications are dealt with as expeditiously as possible, but in present circumstances delay is unavoidable.

Mr. Mainwaring

In the circumstances the right hon. Gentleman has just described, would it not be fair and just to these men to relieve their anxiety and provide additional facilities in order to reduce this waiting time?

Mr. Peake

As the hon. Member knows, we doubled the size of the Medical Board in South Wales in July last, and we have experienced very great difficulty in finding any additional personnel, but we have been in consultation with the Miners Federation in South Wales on the question in order to try to solve the difficulties that have arisen.