§ Mr. Richard Wainwrightasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she will now seek to amend regulations to allow benefit to be payable to those whose absences from work exceed three days in any three months where these absences from work are incurred singly or separately, but not consecutively, as a result of diseases with recurring, intermittent effects, such as haemophilia.
§ Mr. O'MalleyPresent legislation provides for treating any two days of incapacity, from whatever cause, and whether consecutive or not, which occur within a period of six consecutive days as a period of interruption of employment for benefit purposes; and for linking periods not 461W separated by more than 13 weeks to form a single period of interruption of employment. Benefit is not paid for the first three days in any such period. I do not think that legislation to go further than this, and allow payment for isolated days, either generally or in particular cases, would be justified.