§ 12. Mr. Skinnerasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what recent representations he has received regarding the White Paper on the reorganisation of the industrial injuries scheme; and if he will make a statement.
§ The Minister for Social Security (Mr. Hugh Rossi)The White Paper invited comments by 31 March on two of its proposals—special hardship allowance and the ending of double payment for industrial injuries by means of benefits and damages claims. The 28 replies received are being studied and we shall announce our conclusions in due course. In recent weeks we have also received a smaller number of other comments on the White Paper proposals as a whole.
§ Mr. SkinnerIs it not a fact that amidst all the compassion that the Tories trot out day by day at the Dispatch Box, they have introduced a White Paper that proposes to get rid of hospital treatment allowance and industrial death benefit for the widows of those killed at work? The White Paper proposes reducing payments for those who receive disablement benefit of less than 10 per cent. and stopping any other payments from social security to those who are receiving common law payments. In other words, those people will be knocked off. Is it not time that the Government faced up to the representations that they are receiving from the trade unions and others and withdrew this wicked White Paper on the reorganisation of the industrial injuries scheme?
§ Mr. RossiThe White Paper followed a long period of consultation and represents what is virtually a consensus throughout the country on how the industrial injuries benefit scheme can be brought up to date. [Interruption.] The document that the hon. Member for Bolsover (Mr. Skinner) is waving is a distortion of the facts and has been 594 answered point by point. I recommend that the hon. Gentleman reads the White Paper for himself. He will see in it that we are directing resources to the most seriously injured people in our community.
§ Mr. RookerWill the Minister compose himself and tell the House what is the estimate of the number of gainers and losers under the proposals in the White Paper?
§ Mr. RossiIf the hon. Gentleman will look at the financial consequences in the White Paper, he will see a saving of about £54 million, which is being reallocated, and will be increased to £61 million. The people who are losing are those who suffer injuries such as cuts and bruises at work and receive average payments of £9 We are allocating resources so that, for example, someone who loses a leg will have an increased benefit of about £400.