HC Deb 28 January 1999 vol 324 cc319-20W
Mr. Cotter

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many letters he has received since May 1997 from(a) hon. Members and (b) others on the war disablement pension paid to ex-service men and women suffering from noise induced hearing loss. [67564]

Mr. Bayley

Records have been kept since 9 October 1998. Since then 74 letters from hon. Members and 6 letters from other sources have been received.

Mr. Cotter

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate the cost of abolishing the 20 per cent. threshold for war disablement pensions and gratuities paid to ex-service men and women suffering from noise-induced hearing loss. [67567]

Mr. Bayley

The cost would be approximately £250 million.

Mr. Cotter

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many ex-service men and women suffering from noise-induced hearing loss have been refused a war disablement pension or gratuity due to their level of disablement being assessed to be below the 20 per cent. threshold in each of the last 10 years. [67478]

Mr. Bayley

A War Disablement Pension may be awarded for disablement due to service assessed at 20 per cent. or more. In general a gratuity may be awarded for disablement assessed at less than 20 per cent. However, since 1993, no award has been payable in respect of noise-induced sensorineural hearing loss due to service assessed at less than 20 per cent. This change aligned the War Disablement Pension scheme rules with those under the Industrial Injuries scheme for occupational deafness.

The number of first claims for noise-induced sensorineural hearing

loss, since 1993, with assessments of less than 20 per cent. and

where, therefore, no gratuity was payable
Year Number
1993–94 39,471
1994–95 17,109
1995–96 4,341
1996–97 3,727
1997–98 3,398
1998–99 11,369
1 Up to 31 December 1998

Source:

War Pensions Agency

Mr. Nicholas Winterton

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security for what reasons funding has not been made available to allow further research into noise-induced hearing loss in respect of war pension claimants; and if he will make a statement. [67361]

Mr. Bayley

There is a long standing and proven mechanism in place under the War Pension Scheme to monitor any published scientific evidence which might affect entitlement to a War Pension. The Department does not, therefore, normally fund medical research in this area.

For noise induced sensorineural hearing loss this process was validated by the expert review of the evidence in 1998, which came to the same conclusions as previously reached by the war pensions medical adviser.