§ Mr. Dobsonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what has been the total cost of the pneumoconiosis panels in each year since 1975; and what has been the average cost per hearing in each year since 1975.
§ Mr. NewtonThe following table shows the total cost of the medical boarding centres (respiratory diseases), formerly known as pneumoconiosis medical panels, since the 1978–79 financial year, which is the earliest year from which figures are available.
413W
Year Cost £ million 1978–79 0.602 1979–80 0.815 1980–81 1.584 1981–82 1.853 1982–83 1 934 1983–84 1.955 *1984–85 1.861 *1985–86 2.035 * provisional figures In addition to their medical boarding function, medical boarding centres (respiratory diseases) have a number of responsibilities under the industrial injuries scheme. Information about the costs of boarding alone could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
§ Mr. Dobsonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will give his Department's latest estimate of the total number of people who may be eligible for compensation from the pneumoconiosis panels.
Mr. Newton Medical boarding centres (respiratory diseases), formerly known as pneumoconiosis medical panels, handle claims for industrial chest diseases arising in a wide range of occupations. Information about the total number of people who may be eligible for benefit is not available.
§ Mr. Dobsonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will give for each year since 1975 the number of applicants to the pneumoconiosis panels, the number of awards, the number of appeals and the number of successful appeals; and if he will state the award in the case of each successful appeal.
§ Mr. Newton(a) The following table shows the number of cases referred to medical boarding centres (respiratory diseases), formerly the pneumoconiosis medical panels, and the number of awards made for each year from 1975 to 1984. The figures are the latest available.
Year Cases referred Awards 1975 19,040 1,209 1976 14,532 1,248 1977 13,408 1,018 1978 11,837 898 1979 10,822 978 1980 10,305 997 1981 10,212 974 1982 10,112 1,121 1983 10,427 1,107 1984 6,565 994 (b) A right of appeal against a diagnosis decision for industrial chest diseases was not introduced until January 1977. The following table shows the number of appeals made since these rights were introduced and the number of successful appeals. The figures are the latest available.
414W
Year Appeals heard Disease diagnosed 1977 195 36 1978 1979 140 30 1980 210 36 1981 219 51 1982 209 46 1983 320 47 1984 287 57 1985 274 62 (c) Information about individual awards by Medical Appeal Tribunals is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
§ Mr. Dobsonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services when the pneumoconiosis panels were set up; on whose recommendations and on what grounds; to whom they are responsible; if he will list their present membership; and who determines their membership and on what grounds.
§ Mr. NewtonI shall let the hon. Member have a reply as soon as possible.