§ Mr. Harperasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many deaths were caused by, or attributed to, pneumoconiosis over the past 10 years; and how many of these involved miners.
§ Mr. DeanThe statistics available relate to cases for which death benefit was awarded under the Industrial Injuries Act, and the Pneumoconiosis, Byssinosis and Miscellaneous Diseases Benefit Scheme and to cases certified for workmen's compensation purposes. The figures for 1960–69 are given beyond; those for 1970 are not yet available.
Total number of cases Number involving coal-miners 1960 1,282 1,017 1961 1,354 1,054 1962 1,226 950 1963 1,293 1,016 1964 1,131 866 1965 1,096 860 1966 915 697 1967 813 631 1968 871 675 1969 807 629
§ Mr. Harperasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many people were certified under the National Insurance (Industrial Injuries) Act, 1946, as suffering from pneumoconiosis; and how many of these were miners, for the years 1960 to 1970.
§ Mr. DeanThe figures for Great Britain for the years 1960 to 1969 are set out below. Those for 1970 are not yet available.
Total number Certified Number of miners 1960 3,654 3,319 1961 3,223 2,807 1962 2,609 2,209 1963 2,688 2,307 1964 1,648 1,249 1965 1,403 1,036 1966 1,264 968 1967 1,103 762 1968 1,108 804 1969 964 655
§ Mr. Harperasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the current total of certified cases of pneumoconiosis 98W in the United Kingdom; and how many of these are miners.
§ Mr. DeanAt 30th September, 1969, the latest date for which figures are available, benefit for pneumoconiosis Injuries Fund in 51,157 cases; 44,035 cases related to work in coal-mines. These figures do not, of course, include Northern Ireland.
§ Mr. Harperasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what are the figures, for the years 1960 to 1970, of the number of certified cases of pneumoconiosis whose deaths were certified as not being caused by, or contributed to, the disease; what was the number of deaths arising from the disease where there had been no previous certification; and how many of these were miners.
§ Mr. Harperasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how accurate, in percentage figures, are the X-ray results in determining whether a person is suffering from pneumoconiosis, in the light of subsequent post-mortem findings.
§ Mr. DeanIt is not possible to give any percentage, but a high degree of accuracy can be obtained by careful consideration of the evidence from an adequate radiological examination, occupational history and clinical examination.