§ Mrs. Ann TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he intends to publish the study of the standards of examining medical practitioners for attendance allowance; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mrs. Ann TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what monitoring his Department has undertaken of the operation of guidelines for visiting doctors introduced last April to allow disabled children under two years of age to qualify for attendance allowance; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. ScottGuidance was issued by the attendance allowance board to its delegated doctors on those factors which should be taken into account when deciding whether the medical conditions for an award are met in children with disabilities who are aged less than two years and for whom a claim has been made for attendance allowance. At the same time, the board also advised visiting doctors (examining medical practitioners) on the special needs of disabled infants which should be reflected in the reports of medical examinations. The examining doctors are routinely monitored by the Department's regional senior medical officers. We are not aware that any particular problems have emerged during the process of such monitoring following the extension of attendance allowance to children aged less than two years.