§ Mr. Dobsonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the award in each successful appeal against a decision of a medical boarding centre (respiratory diseases) in 1985.
§ Mr. MajorThis information is not available centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
§ Mr. Dobsonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what links exist between the medical boarding centres (respiratory diseases) and the Department of Employment's EMAS survey of asbestos workers.
§ Mr. MajorWhen the EMAS survey finds evidence suggesting the presence of asbestos-related disease in an asbestos worker, he or she is advised to claim disablement benefit from the Department of Health and Social Security. Those who do so are subsequently examined by a special medical board. There is also local informal liaison between EMAS and the medical boarding centres (respiratory diseases).
§ Mr. Dobsonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what information he has as to the factors which account for the variation in the costs of medical boarding centres (respiratory diseases).
§ Mr. MajorEach medical boarding centre (respiratory diseases) serves a different area. Costs vary according to the individual centre's workload and staffing level, which in turn depend on the size of the area, its population and the extent and type of its industries. Local factors such as the cost of office accommodation also play a part.
§ Mr. Dobsonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will give, for each year since 1975, the number of cases referred to medical boarding centres (respiratory diseases) by prescribed disease claimed, and the number of awards by prescribed disease claimed.
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§ Mr. MajorThe information is as follows:
1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 Prescribed Disease Cases referred Awards Cases referred Awards Cases referred Awards Cases referred Awards Cases referred Awards Cases referred Awards Pneumoconiosis 16,184 981 11,650 935 10,955 832 9,793 744 8,918 797 8,072 728 Byssinosis 451 156 337 102 266 87 246 78 268 75 598 148 Diffuse mesothelioma 49 47 54 53 69 63 61 49 75 65 78 73 Occupational asthma1 — — — — — — — — — — — — Extrinsic allergic alveolitis (including farmer's lung) 64 19 74 27 43 7 35 3 53 10 53 19 Poisoning by oxides nitrogen 16 2 29 2 18 — 26 2 17 — 21 — Poisoning by beryllum 4 2 1 1 1 1 3 2 2 2 3 2 Primary carcinoma of a bronchus or of a lung (nickel workers) — — 1 1 — — 1 1 3 1 3 2 Poisoning by cadmium 9 2 22 9 30 13 18 1 11 3 15 8 Primary carcinoma of the Lung (asbestos workers)2 — — — — — — — — — — — — Bilateral diffuse pleural thickening2 — — — — — — — — — — — — Total 16,777 1,209 12,168 1,130 11,382 1,003 10,183 880 9,347 953 8,843 980
1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 Prescribed Disease Cases referred Awards Cases referred Awards Cases referred Awards Cases referred Awards Cases referred Awards Pneumoconiosis 8,283 734 7,797 733 8,036 670 4,617 577 6,983 702 Byssinosis 378 108 634 133 545 72 412 56 304 37 Diffuse mesothelioma 100 93 133 123 158 148 216 201 260 245 Occupational asthma1 — — 112 95 267 183 307 137 282 166 Extrinsic allergic alveolitis (including farmer's lung) 58 18 48 15 34 13 22 4 19 8 Poisoning by oxides nitrogen 16 — 19 4 15 1 12 1 8 — Poisoning by beryllum 3 1 2 2 3 2 — — 1 — Primary carcinoma of a bronchus or of a lung (nickel workers) 1 1 — — 1 1 5 5 3 2 Poisoning by cadmium 6 2 8 3 9 4 11 4 9 2 Primary carcinoma of the Lung (asbestos workers)2 — — — — — — — — 18 8 Bilateral diffuse pleural thickening2 — — — — — — — — 88 61 Total 8,845 957 8,753 1,108 9,068 1,094 5,602 985 7,975 1,231 1Prescribed 29 March 1982 2Prescribed 2 April 1985
§ Mr. Dobsonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will give the number of examinations for pneumoconiosis and byssinosis made by medical boarding centres (respiratory diseases) for 1984 and 1985 as analysed by attributable industry; and why the figures for 1984 were not included in "Social Security Statistics" at table 25.07.
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Medical Boarding Centres (Respiratory Diseases) Examinations for pneumoconiosis and byssinosis1, made by boards in 19842, analysed by attributable industry Number First examinations Re-examination (disease not previously diagnosed) Total Disease diagnosed Disease not diagnosed2 Total Disease diagnosed Disease not diagnosed3 Re-assessments All industries 1,667 462 1,205 662 171 491 110,243 Coal mining 699 208 491 428 122 306 7,193 Refractories 8 4 4 3 1 2 66 Sandstone 6 3 3 — — — 33 Pottery 23 7 16 5 2 3 336 Asbestos 467 162 305 83 24 59 763 Coal trimming — — — — — — — Tin mining — — — — — — 4
§ Mr. MajorThe information is shown in the following tables. The figures for 1984 were not available for inclusion in "Social Security Statistics 1985" because of industrial action at the Department of Health and Social Security's Newcastle central office. Figures for 1984 and 1985 will be included in "Social Security Statistics 1986", to be published shortly.
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First examinations Re-examination (disease not previously diagnosed) Total Disease diagnosed Disease not diagnosed2 Total Disease diagnosed Disease not diagnosed3 Re-assessments Haematite mining — — — — — — 2 Slate mining 8 1 7 14 1 13 46 Slate splitting 12 2 10 21 4 17 102 Graphite — — — — — — 4 Building4 5 2 3 — — — 20 Sandblasting etc. 1 1 — — — — 10 Tunnellers 5 2 3 — — — 24 Metal grinding 4 2 2 — — — 6 Steel dressers 6 2 4 2 1 1 50 Abrasive soap powders — — — — — — 6 Barytes mining — — — — — — 4 Quarrying 4 3 1 2 1 1 14 Furnace dismantling — — — 1 1 — 15 Carbon electrode manufacture — — — — — — — Boiler scaling 1 — 1 1 — 1 2 Iron foundry workers 19 12 7 3 1 2 183 Steel foundry workers 8 — 8 1 — 1 40 Non-ferrous foundry workers 2 1 1 — — — 10 Fireclay mining — — — — — — 14 Other clay mining — — — — — — 3 Chert mining — — — — — — — Lead mining — — — — — — 2 Oil shale mining — — — — — — — Stratified ironstone mining — — — — — — 1 Other mining — — — — — — 3 Other scheduled occupations 9 4 5 2 1 1 49 Unscheduled occupations 61 2 59 3 — 3 38 Cotton (byssinosis) 312 41 271 93 12 81 1,191 Flax (byssinosis) 7 3 4 — — — 9 Source: 100 per cent. count.
Notes:
1Excludes cases under the Pneumoconiosis, Byssinosis and Miscellaneous Diseases Benefits Scheme 1966.
2i.e. excludes cases diagnosed by Medical Appeal Tribunals.
3Cases not diagnosed are analysed by industry constituting the main risk.
4Stonemasons (except at sandstone quarries) and granite masons.
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Medical Boarding Centres (Respiratory Diseases) Examinations for pneumoconiosis and byssinosis1 made by boards in 19852 analysed by attributable industry Number First examinations Re-examination (disease not previously diagnosed) Total Disease diagnosed Disease not diagnosed Total Disease diagnosed Disease not diagnosed3 Re-assessments All industries 1,860 542 1,318 744 197 547 9,149 Coal mining 820 222 598 493 142 351 6,318 Refractories 8 3 5 — — — 53 Sandstone 4 1 3 1 — 1 29 Pottery 25 11 14 6 3 3 279 Asbestos 643 241 402 105 32 73 716 Coal trimming 1 — 1 — — — 1 Tin mining 2 — 2 — — — 9 Haematite mining — — — — — — 3 Slate mining 4 — 4 17 3 14 77 Slate splitting 4 2 2 20 2 18 85 Graphite 1 1 — — — — 2 Building4 9 3 6 — — — 21 Sandblasting etc 1 1 — — — — 6 Tunnellers 3 2 1 1 1 — 19 Metal grinding 3 — 3 — — — 7 Steel dressers 15 6 9 1 — 1 61 Abrasive soap powders — — — — — — 5 Barytes — — — — — — 7 Quarrying 2 — 2 1 — 1 20 Furnace dismantling — — — — — — 14 Carbon electrode manufacture 1 1 — — — — 2 Boiler scaling — — — — — — 1 Iron foundry workers 31 16 15 6 1 5 158 Steel foundry workers 10 1 9 — — — 32 Non-ferrous foundry workers 2 — 2 1 — 1 7 Fireclay mining — — — — — — 8 Other clay mining — — — — — — 4 Chert mining — — — — — — — Lead mining — — — — — — 2 Oil shale mining — — — — — — —
First examinations Re-examination (disease not previously diagnosed) Total Disease diagnosed Disease not diagnosed Total Disease diagnosed Disease not diagnosed3 Re-assessments Stratified ironstone mining — — — — — — — Other mining — — — — — — — Other scheduled occupations 26 6 20 1 — 1 40 Unscheduled occupations 30 1 29 2 — 2 24 Cotton (byssinosis) 210 23 187 88 13 75 1,132 Flax (byssionosis) 5 1 4 1 — 1 7 Source: 100 per cent. Count.
Notes:
1Excludes cases under the Pneumoconiosis, Byssinosis and Miscellaneous Diseases Benefit Scheme 1966.
2ie excludes cases diagnosed by Medical Appeal Tribunals.
3Cases not diagnosed are analysed by industry constituting the main risk.
4Stonemasons (except at sandstone quarries) and granite masons.