§ Mr. Carter-Jonesasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) whether, following representations by the Disablement Income Group, he will introduce amending legislation to allow payment of the attendance allowance without a second six-months' qualifying period 104W when a disabled person becomes entitled to the attendance allowance a second time and when that disabled person has been in receipt of that allowance at some time within the previous four years;
(2) whether the Attendance Allowance Board has considered the question of a disabled person having his attendance allowance stopped following a temporary improvement in his condition and, following his again becoming entitled to the allowance, having to serve a second six months' qualifying period before his attendance allowance can be reawarded; what recommendations the Board has presented to him; and what representations he has received on this question.
§ Mr. Alfred MorrisThe conclusions reached by the Attendance Allowance Board are that a person should not have to serve a second six months' qualifying period where the medical requirements for attendance allowance are again satisfied after an interval of not more than two years since the cessation or reduction in the rate of the allowance. It considers that the easement should apply only where the medical requirements are likely to be satisfied for at least six months. I am now giving urgent consideration to the Board's conclusions and hope to be able to make a further statement in the near future.