§ Mr. Dobsonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will give, for each year since 1975, the number of awards given to claimants without reference to the Special Medical board under regulation 44(1) of the Adjudication Regulations 1984 and its predecessors.
§ Mr. Dobsonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will undertake to bring to the attention of adjudicating officers their power under regulation 44(1) of the Adjudication Regulations 1984 to make awards to claimants without reference to the Special Medical board.
§ Mr. MajorThe duty to advise adjudication officers falls to the chief adjudication officer, whose guidance already covers this point. If the hon. Member has a specific case in mind the chief adjudication officer will be pleased to look into it.
§ Mr. Dobsonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement about the omission of any reference to regulation 44(1) of the Adjudication Regulations 1984 in appendix 1, point 7, to the industrial injuries handbook for adjudicating medical authorities.
§ Mr. MajorRegulation 44(1) of the Social Security (Adjudication) Regulations 1984 gives power to the lay adjudication officer to dispense with reference to
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Hospitals approved for complete closure July 1985 to August 1986 Region/district Hospital Number of beds Date approved Northern Gateshead Normans Riding 163 January 1986 South West Durham Holywood Hall 49 January 1986 adjudicating medical practitioners for medical reports in certain circumstances. Since the industrial injuries handbook is a guide for adjudicating medical authorities, a reference to regulation 44(1) is unnecessary.