---

Social Security (Industrial Injuries) (Prescribed Diseases)

My honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Helen Goodman) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement. The Social Security (Industrial Injuries) (Prescribed Diseases) Amendment Regulations 2009 have today been laid before Parliament. The regulations implement, from 13 July 2009, the recommendation set out in the Industrial Injuries Advisory Council’s report—osteoarthritis of the knee in coal miners. The Command Paper Cm 7440 was published in August 2008. The recommendation made in the report was to add the disease osteoarthritis of the knee to the schedule of prescribed diseases. These regulations implement that recommendation. This means that all coal miners who worked underground in coal mines for an aggregate of 10 years or more before 1986 can claim industrial injuries disablement benefit if they suffer from osteoarthritis of the knee. Work from 1986 onwards as a coal face worker at a non-mechanised coal face, and for certain other categories of work, can be included in the 10 years qualifying period.