§ Mr. BurdenTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many claims have been made on behalf of vaccine-damaged children for the vaccine-damaged payment, who have been accepted as vaccine damaged but were turned down because their disability was less than 80 per cent.; and how many parents have applied but have been turned down because of the six year ruling.
440W
§ Mr. HagueThe administration of the vaccine damage payment scheme is a matter for Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member with such information as is available.
Letter from Michael Bichard to Mr. Richard Burden, dated 24 June 1994:
The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Vaccine Damage Scheme.The information is not available in the exact format requested. I have been able to provide information from the first date from which figures are available, June 1981.Since June 1981 there have been 853 claims made on behalf vaccine damaged children for the vaccine damaged payment. Of these, 8 have been accepted as vaccine damaged but were turned down because their disability was less than 80 per cent.I am not able to provide you with details of the number of parents who have applied but been turned down because of the six year rule. This is because records held do not classify "parents" separately. However, I can tell you that since June 1981, with regard to all claims, the number of claims disallowed because of the six year rule is 209.I hope you find this reply helpful.
§ Mr. McCartneyTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the cost of vaccine damage payments and the financial cost of compensation paid out to victims and their families for each year since 1987.
§ Mr. HagueThe information is in the table1
Year £ 1987 150,000 1988 80,000 1989 70,000 1990 10,000 1991 50,000 1992 360,000 1993 60,000 Financial compensation is payable only when there has been a delay in dealing with the claim. Since 1987, approximately £25,000 has been paid in this way.
Note: 1Figures are subject to amendment as further awards may be made on review or appeal.
§ Mr. McCartneyTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many vaccine damage cases seeking compensation have been rejected and how many approved, breaking down the figures by category of damage for which the payments were made, in each year since 1987.
§ Mr. HagueThe information is not available in the form requested. Such information as is available is in the table1.
Years Awards Disallowances 1988 5 38 1989 2 53 1990 Nil 40 1991 2 41 1992 216 36 1993 3 46 1Figures are subject to amendment as further awards may be made on review or appeal. 2The increase in awards for 1992 was due to a combination of factors and includes a number of awards for claims made in earlier years, some consequent upon Vaccine Damage Tribunal findings.
§ Mr. McCartneyTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the cost of the vaccine damage scheme for each year since 1987.
441W
§ Mr. HagueThe information is not available)in the form requested. The administrative costs of the vaccine damage payment unit are subsumed within those of a larger administrative unit at Fylde, Blackpool.