HC Deb 17 June 1954 vol 528 cc161-2W
Mr. Hale

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance the amount standing to the credit of the Industrial Injuries Fund at the most recent convenient date and at the corresponding date of the year previous.

Mr. Turton

The balance of the Industrial Injuries Fund amounted to £94

PNEUMOCONIOSIS AND BYSSINOSIS BENEFIT SCHEME
Year 1952 (a) 1953 1954 (to 12th June) Total
Benefit claimed Disablement allowance Death benefit Disablement allowance Death benefit Disablement allowance Death benefit Disablement allowance Death benefit
Claims received 5,586 (b) 860 3,587 582 1,399 316 10,572 1,758
Claims allowed 2,179 (78) (c) 458 (12) 1,148 (7) 399 (11) 283 (2) 193 (6) 3,610 (87) 1,050 (29)
Claims disallowed. 2,153 (3) 237 (1) 2,850 (4) 239 (1) 1,175 (6) 119 (2) 6,178 (13) 595 (4)
Claims under examination at end of period. 1,254 165 843 109 784 (3) 113 (0)
NOTES:
(a) The Scheme, which was made under the Pneumoconiosis and Byssinosis Benefit Act, 1951, came into operation on 10th March, 1952.
(b) Includes 803 existing beneficiaries taken over from the former Benefit Schemes.
(c) Where separate figures are available for byssinosis claims they are shown in brackets.

Mr. Hale

asked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance the estimated average period of an examination at home by the Pneumoconiosis Board under the Pneumoconiosis and Byssinosis Benefit Act, 1951; and what is the customary procedure as to the number of X-ray photographs taken and the use of a sputum analysis.

Mr. Tinton

No information is available from which to estimate the average time taken by the medical board on million on 31st March, 1953, the latest date covered by the published accounts. On 31st March, 1952, the balance was £78 million.