§ Mr. Kinnockasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will seek to amend Section 82(5)(a) and Regulation 2(1)(b) of the Social Security Act 1975 and the Social Security Benefit (Persons Abroad) Regulations 1975, so that persons who are incapacitated before leaving Great Britain and remain incapable of work throughout the period that they are outside Great Britain may continue to claim sickness benefit during the time that they are absent from Great Britain, provided that that absence does not extend to a period of more than 21 days.
§ Mr. OrmeNo. Payment abroad can be made under certain reciprocal arrangements with other countries which enable adequate control of claims to be exercised, but it has not been thought right to extend this provision to countries where there are no such arrangements and effective control would not be possible. An exception can be made, however, in the case of a person who goes abroad temporarily for the specific purpose of being treated for an incapacity which commenced before he left Great Britain, or who had been incapacitated for a continu-600W ous period of at least six months before his temporary absence began.