HC Deb 24 April 1967 vol 745 cc1139-41
30 and 31. Mr. Maurice Macmillan

asked the Minister of Social Security (1) when she will remove the anomalies whereby persons suffering from chronic illness are treated less generously under the National Insurance scheme than those suffering from chronic disability as a result of industrial injury or disease;

(2) whether she will take steps to alter the definition of disablement for National Insurance purposes to include all those suffering a medically ascertained defect, mental or physical, causing a long-term reduction in working capacity, regardless of whether such disablement arises from war, from industrial injury or from any other cause.

34. Mr. Astor

asked the Minister of Social Security if she will introduce regulations to rationalise the various scales of benefit applicable to the disabled and chronically sick, so that the benefits may be related to the degree of disablement rather than to the particular circumstances in which the disablement occurred.

Miss Herbison

The war pensions and industrial injuries schemes compensate for the special risks of service in the armed forces or in industry. This concept has no place in the National Insurance scheme whose purpose is to give comprehensive coverage for a loss of earnings due to sickness, however caused, to unemployment or to old age.

Mr. Macmillan

Does the right hon. Lady realise how great the discrepancy is—£6 10s. a week for a married man for illness and £9 5s. for industrial injury, and that is in the first six months, apart from more permanent disability. Whatever the cause, the hardship to the individual is the same. Will she not think again about doing what the Question asks, that is, altering the regulations so as to bring what one might call the civil disabled into line with industrially and war disabled?

Miss Herbison

There would be great difficulty in doing what the hon. Gentleman and his hon. Friend the Member for Newbury (Mr. Astor) ask. I do not know whether the hon. Gentleman has taken soundings from ex-Service organisations such as the British Legion and B.L.E.S.M.A. or, on the industrial side, from the T.U.C. I think that there would be great resentment on their side if one were to accept the hon. Gentleman's proposal. On the other hand, I realise only too well the great hardships in the home caused by chronic sickness. What we have done in supplementary allowances has helped a little, and in our general review we are giving close attention to how we can help these families.

Mr. Astor

Would the Minister give special attention to the problem of the disabled housewife who may not be entitled to any benefit at present? Could she consider that question and announce the result ahead of the General Review?

Miss Herbison

The hon. Member has always shown great interest in this matter. I have met representatives from the Association concerned, and I am fully conscious of the many problems and hardships involved. It is because of that that I have told the Association that we are giving the closest attention to the matter in our review.

Miss Pike

Will the Minister look again at the question posed by my hon. Friend the Member for Farnham (Mr. Maurice Macmillan) of bringing together what he called the civil and industrial side? We are not suggesting that anybody would have anything taken away, and so I do not think that the question of resentment would come into the matter. It would do something to right what many people feel is an injustice at present.

Miss Herbison

This has been a difficulty that has obtained ever since those schemes came into being. I think that the better way is to ensure, whether or not there are differentials, that no one is in the kind of difficulties that some people are in at present.