§ Mr. Dickensasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he has any plans to change the rights of appeal to medical appeal tribunals by people whose claims for industrial disablement benefit for pneumoconiosis or byssinosis have been disallowed following adverse decisions by pneumoconiosis medical boards.
§ Mr. RossiI am pleased to tell my hon. Friend that the present restrictions on rights of appeal to medical appeal tribunals in pneumoconiosis and byssinosis cases are to be removed except for the restriction which prevents a further appeal to a medical appeal tribunal within two years of a previous medical appeal tribunal decision. At present the right of appeal is restricted to claims where there have been two disallowances following adverse decisions by pneumoconiosis medical boards and one year has elapsed since the first of them. Regulations to give effect to the changes will be introduced as soon as possible.