§ Mr. Prenticeasked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance what steps are being taken to keep his Department in touch with current Government studies on the problems of noise; and what further consideration is now being given to the possibility of scheduling occupational deafness under the Industrial Injuries Act in the light of these studies.
§ Mr. SharplesMy Department is kept fully informed of the proceedings of the Committee appointed by my noble Friend the Minister for Science to consider the problem of noise. In addition it is one of the normal duties of my Department to keep abreast of developments in research in the field of industrial medicine, including that of occupational deafness, which have a bearing on the operation of the Industrial Injuries Act. In considering whether this condition might satisfy the requirements for prescription laid down in Section 55 (2) of the Industrial Injuries Act, my right hon. Friend is of course assisted by the experienced advice of the Industrial Injuries Advisory Council who are giving a good deal of attention to this condition.