HC Deb 24 June 1981 vol 7 cc111-2W
Mr. Stephen Ross

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) how many applications have been accepted and rejected in the following categories for payment under the Vaccine Damage Payments Act 1979; diptheria, tetanus, whooping cough, poliomyelitis, measles, rubella, tuberculosis and smallpox;

(2) how many applications accepted for payment under the Vaccine Damage Payments Act 1979 have been connected with (a) whooping cough vaccine and (b) DTP vaccine.

Sir George Young

Information about the number of claims by vaccination category is given in my reply to the right hon. Member for Stoke-on-Trent, South (Mr. Ashley) on 1 June.—[Vol. 5, c.255–57.]

Information about the number of awards up to 10 April 1981 is as follows:

Number of awards
Triple 286 (155)
Triple and polio 132 (54)
Triple and smallpox 1 (0)
Triple and measles 1 (0)
Triple polio and smallpox 1 (0)
Pertussis 40 (10)
Pertussis and polio 1 (0)
Pertussis and diptheria 13 (13)
Pertussis diptheria and polio 11 (0)
Pertussis polio and tetanus 1 (0)
Pertussis diptheria and rubella 1 (0)
Diptheria 4 (2)
Polio 26 (15)
Provocation polio 2 (2)
BCG 1 (0)
Measles 34 (21)
Rubella 2 (2)
Smallpox 79 (65)
Diptheria tetanus and polio 3 (2)

Note: The number in brackets—which is included in the total—is of initial decisions by the Secretary of State; the balance being decisions after review by a tribunal.

Mr. Stephen Ross

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many applications he has received to date for payment under the Vaccine Damage Payments Act 1979; how many of the applications have been accepted and payment made; how many have been rejected; and how many have still to be decided.

Sir George Young

The information is as follows:

Vaccine Damage Payments Act 1979 — Position at 29 May 1981
Awards
1. Claims—received 2,716
—withdrawn 7
Effective claims 2,709
2. Claims initially determined:—
(a) awards made 338 338
(b) claims disallowed because the secretary of State is not satisfied that—
1) the statutory conditions under section 2 of the Act are fulfilled 77
ii) the disabled person was severly damaged as a result of vaccination 2,275
3. Claims not yet determined:— 19
2,709
4. Awards made after original disallowance 3
5. Requests for review 1,362
withdrawn 79
Effective requests 1,283
6. Reviews determined of which 1,103
Awards made 308 308
Disallowances upheld 795
1,103
7. Reviews not yet decided 180
1,283
8. Total Awards 649

The 180 cases awaiting review by tribunal are mainly cases where determination is deferred at the claimant's request.

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