§ Mr. Patrick Jenkinasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement about the investigations by officials of his Department into sick pay claims by car workers in the Midlands area.
§ Mr. OrmeMy Department has for many years operated a control procedure whenever the number of new claims for sickness benefit increases before or during holiday periods. Particular attention is paid to the certified cause of incapacity; the claimant's past record of claims, especially at previous holiday periods and any evidence which throws doubt on the genuineness of the claim.
Where immediate control action is considered to be appropriate, a decision on the claim is delayed until the claimant has been visited by an officer from the local office or referred to the regional medical service for a second medical opinion. This evidence is then placed before the independent adjudicating authorities who decide whether the claimant has proved incapacity for work.
These procedures are at present being followed by some 24 local offices in the West Midlands region and cover a variety of industries including car manufacturing plants. If the right hon. Gentleman has an individual case in mind perhaps he would write to me.