asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he is aware that a number of people who apply for disability benefit are brought before a medical referee three and four weeks after the first medical certificate has been furnished to his Department and that it is causing undue worry and inconvenience to people who are sick; and if this indicates a change in his Department's policy.

In cases where a second medical opinion as to incapacity is considered necessary, claimants for disability benefit are brought before a medical referee for examination as soon as is practicable.

There has been no change in my Department's policy in regard to the control of disability benefit claimants by medical referee examinations.

That is not the reply to the question asked. Is it a new procedure that people are being called in before the medical referee within three or four weeks after they send in their first medical certificate?

No, as I stated there is no change with regard to the policy of the Department. The question as to whether a claimant would or would not be called in before a medical referee would be a matter for the medical referee. It is a medical judgment.

Does it mean that every medical certificate that is sent in goes before a medical referee?

Not necessarily every certificate. A medical referee would, by the nature of a complaint that led to the claim, in his professional judgment decide whether or not a person should be examined and at what time a person should be examined.

Is the Parliamentary Secretary aware that in my county recently quite a number of people have been pulled in before the medical referee at very short notice after they have sent in their first medical certificate and that that is quite unknown to have happened before?

I am not aware of anyone being called in at very short notice but, quite frankly, I cannot see why any person who is genuinely suffering from a disability would have any objection to being examined by a medical referee.

What I am trying to say is that sick people are being persecuted by being brought before the medical referee before they are even out of bed.

Order, that is not a question.

I cannot accept that.

The remaining questions will appear on tomorrow's Order Paper.