§ Mr. FoulkesTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how claims being processed by the war pensions unit at Norcross, Blackpool have been affected by asbestos being found in a Ministry of Defence building where records are kept; when he expects the claims will be processed; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. HagueThis is a matter for Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member with such information as is available.
Letter from M. Bichard to Mr. George Foulkes, dated 19 January 1994:
The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your Parliamentary Question about the effect of asbestos in a Ministry of Defence (MOD) building on claims being processed by the War Pension Unit.
In June 1993, asbestos contaminated dust was discovered at the MOD Records, Hayes. Since that date, the MOD have been unable to provide full service documents for War Pension claims.
In September 1993, contingency plans were introduced which included the MOD going into the contaminated areas to retrieve the relevant documents for particularly urgent claims, such as those from the terminally ill.
The decontamination exercise started on 10 January 1994 and is due to be completed by April 1994. Those claims not covered by the contingency plans will be dealt with as a matter of urgency as the MOD records become available.
I hope my reply has been helpful.