§ Mr. Forresterasked the Minister of Social Security what estimate she has made of the annual cost of all people with 50 per cent. or over assessment for industrial chest diseases being allowed to retire at the age of 60 years; and if she will alter the regulations to permit optional retirement at 60 years of age in such cases.
§ Mr. LoughlinI regret that the information needed to make the estimate for which my hon. Friend is asking is not available. Under the National Insurance Scheme it would be inappropriate to provide retirement pensions on a basis not common to the general body of contributors.
§ Mr. Forresterasked the Minister of Social Security how many people between 372W the ages of 60 and 65 years are in receipt of 50 per cent. or over assessment for industrial disease; how many of this total are suffering from pneumoconiosis; and how many from other chest diseases.
§ Mr. LoughlinI assume that my hon. Friend is referring to persons receiving benefit in respect of diseases prescribed under the Industrial Injuries Act and to comparable cases arising from employment before July, 1948.
Some 1,300 men aged 60 to 64 were receiving an industrial disablement pension under the Industrial Injuries Act at 30th September, 1966, in respect of pneumoconiosis assessed at 50 per cent. or over. It is not known how many other persons between these ages are drawing pensions at 50 per cent. or over in respect of other chest diseases under the Industrial Injuries Act.
Persons whose disability resulted from employment before July, 1948, when the Industrial Injuries Act came into operation, are dealt with on a different basis, which does not require medical boards to make percentage assessments of disablement resulting from loss of faculty. It is not known how many of these people would be assessed as disabled to the extent of 50 per cent. or more.