§ Mr. David Priceasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is his current estimate of the net annual cost of establishing a non-means tested national disability pension paid as of right to all disabled persons related to their degree of disability and paid at the same rates as the industrial injuries benefit on the assumption that such a national disability pension would replace the invalidity pension, the invalidity allowance and the attendance allowances for all those eligible for such a national disability income.
§ Mr. DeanThe cost of extending to all disabled persons across the whole age range, and irrespective of the origin of their disablement, provisions equivalent to those of the Industrial Injuries Scheme cannot be reliably estimated but could approach £1,000 million a year. As my hon. Friend will be aware, industrial disablement pensioners may be eligible for invalidity benefit and attendance allowance in addition to their industrial disablement benefit.