§ Mr. ToddTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will respond to the Motor Neurone Disease Association's report on the effect of the Benefit Integrity Project on people with Motor Neurone Disease. [65591]
§ Mr. BayleyI responded to the Motor Neurone Disease (MND) Association on 19 January 1999.
The Benefit Integrity Project (BIP) has been subject to continuous review and prior to the Association's report being published in November 1998, significant improvements had been made to the way in which the BIP operated. Since 5 October, people with MND who are receiving the higher rate of mobility component together with the highest rate of the care component of Disability Living Allowance were exempt from the operation of the Project.
We plan that BIP should be replaced by a new system of review which is part of the routine administration of the benefit and which is both sensitive and fair. We are currently discussing our proposals with the Disability Benefits Forum.