HC Deb 29 June 1976 vol 914 c125W
69. Mr. Fitch

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will seek to amend Section 50(5) of the Social Security Act 1975 to include professional sportsmen as eligible for injury benefit if they sustain an accident whilst engaged in sporting events outside the United Kingdom.

Mr. Orme

Industrial accidents which occur in the countries of the EEC or in most of the other countries with which we have reciprocal agreements on social security are covered either under the United Kingdom Industrial Injuries Scheme or the corresponding scheme of the other country. A general extension to cover all such accidents overseas has been considered on a number of occasions but the conclusion has always been that such an extension would be impracticable, mainly because of the difficulty in establishing whether the conditions governing title to benefit were satisfied. That remains the position, but extensions of cover by way of reciprocal agreements will continue to be made whenever possible.

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