§ Mr. Roseasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will introduce legislation to amend the National Insurance (Industrial Injuries) Act so as to include industrial diseases contracted during employment which are not prescribed.
§ Mr. DeanNo. It would not be justifiable to pay the preferential benefits of the industrial injuries scheme for diseases other than those which are predominantly occupational in origin and which can be attributed to the nature of the employment in individual cases with reasonable certainty. Diseases satisfying these conditions are prescribed under the336W Industrial Injuries Act and the schedule of prescribed diseases is kept under continuing review.
§ Mr. Roseasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will introduce legislation to amend the National Insurance (Industrial Injuries) Act so as to allow for appeals from medical appeals tribunals on questions of fact.
§ Mr. DeanNo. Medical appeal tribunals deal with appeals from medical boards and consist of a legal chairman and two medical members of consultant status. The questions of fact before them are medical; they already have power to seek specialist medical reports if necessary.