§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services, for the industrial diseases (a) occupational deafness (PD A10 formerly PD48) as prescribed in 1974, (b) occupational deafness as extended in 1979, (c) occupational vitiligo (PD C25 formerly PD 52) and (d) occupational asthma (PD D7 formerly PD53), what is the number of claims officially predicted for the first year after prescription and for each subsequent year up to the present, the consequent benefit cost expected, the actual number of claims received over the same period and the actual benefit cost.
§ Mr. NewtonThe information is as follows: 265W
Occupational Deafness: 1974 prescription* Year Actual number of successful claims 1975 1,217 1976 1,208 1977 567 1978 570 1979 432 * Estimates made prior to 1979 are not available.
Occupational Deafness 1979 extension 1980 1981 1982 1983 Estimated number of successful claims 4,000 4,200 1,200 500 Estimated total benefit costs (at November 1977 benefit rates) *2 *4½ *5 *5½ Actual number of successful claims 1,064 842 624 438 * £ million.
Occupational Asthma 1982 1983 1984 Estimated number of successful claims 4,000 1,000 1,000 Estimated total benefit costs (at November 1980 benefit rates) *3 *4 *5 Actual number of successful claims 95 183 † * £million. † Not available. Occupational Vitiligo
It was estimated that there would be no more than 30 successful claims each year at an annual benefit cost not exceeding £15,000 (based on November 1980 benefit rates). Since the disease was prescribed on 15 December 1980 there have been approximately 12 successful claims.
Information about the actual benefit costs of claims in respect of these diseases is not available centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
The lack of comprehensive statistics for workers suffering from these diseases and the impossibility of knowing how many of those eligible will actually claim benefit means that predictions are liable to a large degree of error.
§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will estimate the numbers and costs in the first year of extending further the terms of prescription of occupational deafness, as implemented in 1983, and of prescribing vibration white finger.
§ Mr. NewtonIt is estimated that, in the financial year 1983–84, at most some 2,000 additional successful claims at a cost of about £1 million will result from the 1983 extension of the terms of prescription of occupational deafness. The number of successful claims in the first year following the prescription of vibration white finger is estimated to be about 300 and the cost approximately £175,000.