§ Mr. Hayhoeasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what recent changes have been made in the arrangements for paying attendance allowance to home dialysis patients; and for what reasons.
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§ Mr. Alfred MorrisThe Attendance Allowance Board, as an independent statutory authority, has to decide whether the disabled person satisfies the medical requirements laid down in the Social Security Act 1975 which, broadly speaking, relates to the amount of attention and supervision the person requires, Last year the Board, noting the ever shortening periods of dialysis, considered that the amount of attention and supervision required by many dialysis patients did not measure up to the requirements in the Act, and have given decisions in individual cases which reflect their interpretation of the statute.