HC Deb 19 April 1999 vol 329 c457W
18. Mr. John Smith

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he has to modify the role of medical examiners in benefit applications. [79746]

Mr. Bayley

We will be making minor changes to the role that examining doctors play in deciding entitlement to disablement benefits during the course of the year as part of our plans to modernise the decision making system. For all benefits where entitlement depends on a medical question, the examining doctor will act in an advisory capacity to the decision maker, providing expert medical advice to enable them to reach a correct decision on benefit entitlement. The aim will be to improve the quality of the decision and the level of information which we give to benefit claimants.

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