WORKMEN'S COMPENSATION (Hansard, 14 February 1963)

§ THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS (THE EARL OF DUNDEE)

Her Majesty's Government have certain proposals which they hope to put forward at the Committee stage of the National Insurance Bill now before the House, with the intention of bringing the totally disabled men broadly into line with their counterparts under the Industrial Injuries Act in receipt of 100 per cent. disablement pension and of making improvements in the position of the partially disabled. The existing provision for these men out of the Industrial Injuries Fund would be increased under the proposals as follows:—

(a) The 32s. 6d. allowance payable under the Workmen's Compensation and Benefit (Supplementation) Act 1956 would become 65s. This with their workmen's compensation would bring these men broadly into parity with men in receipt of 100 per cent. industrial injuries penson.
(b) The fiat-rate allowance payable under the Industrial Diseases (Benefit) Act 1954 to certain men (chiefly pneumoconiotics) who were time-barred for workmen's compensation because of the slowness with which their disability developed would in effect be increased by 32s. 6d. in the case of those totally disabled and by 15s. for those partially disabled.
(c) The upper limit on the allowances payable under the Workmen's Compensation (Supplementation) Act 1951 (as amended) to partially disabled men on maximum rates of compensation would become 30s. The allowances would, of course, be subject to the normal workmen's compensation loss of earnings rules. The effect would be to increase the maximum aggregrate amount payable to these men from 60s. to 80s. if married and 50s. to 70s. if single.

The cost of the proposals to the Industrial Injuries Fund is estimated at rather more than £¾ million in the first full year. If the proposals are approved, it will be possible to bring them into effect at the same time as the increased rates of industrial injuries disablement benefit.

House adjourned at seven o'clock.