§ 48. Mr. Edward Lyonsasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what progress has been made since 1st January 1976 in extending the categories of occupational deafness for which disablement benefit is payable.
§ Mr. OrmeThe Industrial Injuries Advisory Council was asked in February696W 1976 by my right hon. Friend to review the operation of the provisions for occupational deafness and to identify the processes where the noise-levels are nearest in severity to those already covered with a view to extending categories as and when financial and other resources became available. The council's report was published on 11th July (Cmnd. 7266) and, as I said in my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Brent, South (Mr. Pavitt) on 14th July, the Government are considering the report urgently with a view to the possibility of extending the occupational deafness scheme.—[Vol. 953, c. 821–2.]