§ 33. Mr. Peter Thomasasked the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance what conclusions she has reached from the special attention she has been giving to the problems arising from industrial chest diseases, in particular in the slate industry; and whether she will now take steps to ensure that, in the absence of conclusive evidence that death was not caused or materially accelerated by pneumoconiosis, industrial death benefit will be awarded automatically to widows of men who suffered from that disease and whose assessment for the purpose of disablement pension in life was 50 per cent. or more.
§ Miss HerbisonI am giving close attention to the question of industrial chest diseases in general but this is a complex and difficult issue on which it will take time to reach any conclusions.
As the hon. Member will know from my letter of 23rd February his proposal would moan a fundamental change in the principles of the Industrial Injuries scheme and I cannot hold out any hope of a change of the nature suggested.