§ 16. Mr. Boyd-Carpenterasked the Minister of Social Security what proposals she now has for improving the position of the long-term sick.
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterWill not the right hon. Lady go a little further than that and say that she accepts that there is increasing evidence of need for some addition, perhaps on a selective basis, to ordinary sickness benefits for people who are sick or disabled for a very long time, perhaps for life? Has she considered applying to them some of the experience of the war pension scheme, such as introducing constant attendance allowance or unemployability supplement?
§ Mrs. HartI am prepared to go further than in my original Answer and to say that a number of these points are among those being studied. As I am sure the right hon. Gentleman appreciates, the whole subject is full of complexities. What is important is that we are taking one move forward in that my right hon. Friend the Minister of Health at the moment is about to initiate a survey which will cover many of the long-term disabled, to many of whom a constant attendance allowance would be relevant. That should take us some way forward.