§ Mr. MillsTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if, following consultation, he has reached a decision on the proposals to exclude death or disablement caused by a smoking or alcohol-related disease from the scope of the war pensions scheme.
§ Mr. HagueFollowing consultation, we have decided to go ahead with the change but with a significant easement. We originally proposed to except from the exclusion any individual who suffered from a service-related mental disablement that was assessed at 80 per cent. or more and therefore caused him to smoke or drink.
We have decided to set the minimum level of mental disablement that will be considered at 50 per cent. Individual claims will still be subject to the further test that, whatever the assessed level of disablement, it must also cause the individual to smoke, or prevent him from giving up.
An amending order will be laid shortly.