HC Deb 19 May 1980 vol 985 cc60-2W
Mr. Alfred Morris

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when his Department's review of the industrial injuries scheme was published; if he will list the organisations to whom he sent it for comment; by what date comments were requested; and if he will give the equivalent information relating to his decision to cut the value of invalidity benefit and the unemployability supplement to industrial disablement pension.

Mr. Prentice

A consultative document on the industrial injuries scheme was published on 20 February, allowing until 31 December for comments and views to be submitted. The following organisations were sent copies of the document for comment:—The Industrial Injuries Advisory Council The Confederation of British Industry The Trades Union Congres The Disability Alliance Disablement Income Group RADAR British Medical Association Faculty of Occupational Medicine, Royal College of Surgeons Age Concern Association for Spina Bifida & Hydrocephalus British Association of the Hard of Hearing British Deaf Association British Epilepsy Association British Kidney Patient Association British Rheumatism & Arthritis Association Campaign for the Mentally Handicapped Child Poverty Action Group Help the Aged MIND (National Association for Mental Health) Multiple Sclerosis Action Group National Association for Deaf/Blind and Rubella Handicapped National Council for the Single Woman and her dependants National Council of One-Parent Families National Federation of the Blind of the UK National League of the Blind and Disabled of GB National Union of the Deaf Royal Association in aid of the Deaf and Dumb Royal National Institute for the Deaf Scottish Paraplegic Association Scottish Society for the Mentally Handicapped Scottish Spina Bifida Association Spastics Society Wales Council for the Disabled Disabled Living Foundation Multiple Sclerosis Society Muscular Dystrophy Group of GB National Children's Bureau Royal National Institute for the Blind Spinal Injuries Association Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents British Insurance Association National Federation of Building Trades Employers Association of County Councils Association of Metropolitan Authorities Association of District Councils National Farmers' Union National Federation of Self-Employed, Ltd. BLESMA British Legion British Legion (Scotland) Royal Air Forces Association

In his Budget Statement to the House on 26 March—[Vol. 981, c. 1439–1490]—my right hon. and learned Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced a number of measures aimed at reducing the level of public expenditure. The proposal to uprate invalidity benefit and its equivalent benefit in the industrial injury scheme, unemployability supplement, in November 1980 by five percentage points less than the estimated rise in prices was taken in this context and was not, therefore, subject to an equivalent consultative process.