To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what provisions the Government intend to make to provide compensation to those who have suffered severe brain damage as a result of vaccination administered on behalf of the Department of Health. [30827]
The existing Vaccine Damage Payment scheme, which has been in place since 1979, provides a one-off payment, not compensation, to people severely disabled by vaccination against certain diseases. The Vaccine Damage Payments Act and Regulations set out the full conditions of entitlement. The scheme is currently under consideration.
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many applications were made under the Vaccine Damage Payments Act 1979 in each year since 1993; and of these applications, how many were successful and which vaccines were involved. [30805]
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many payments have been made to applicants following assessment by the Vaccine Damage Payments Unit since its inception, by type of vaccine. [30939]
The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is set out in the table.
| Claims and awards made by the vaccine damage payment unit | ||
| Year | Claims | Awards |
| 1977–78 | 3 | — |
| 1978–79 | 1,772 | 21 |
| 1979–80 | 820 | 336 |
| 1980–81 | 125 | 251 |
| 1981–82 | 76 | 67 |
| 1982–83 | 101 | 38 |
| 1983–84 | 117 | 39 |
| 1984–85 | 98 | 35 |
| 1985–86 | 69 | 25 |
| 1986–87 | 76 | 17 |
| 1987–88 | 63 | 10 |
| 1988–89 | 39 | 3 |
| 1989–90 | 54 | 3 |
| 1990–91 | 34 | 1 |
| 1991–92 | 37 | 7 |
| 1992–93 | 51 | 13 |
| 1993–94 | 55 | 4 |
| 1994–95 | 77 | 6 |
| 1995–96 | 69 | 6 |
| 1996–97 | 70 | 5 |
Notes: