Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions his Department has had with the Industrial Injuries Advisory Council on assessment of the connection between repeated head injuries or blows to the head sustained during a career as a professional sportsperson and (a) chronic traumatic encephalopathy, (b) dementia and (c) other neurodegenerative diseases.

The department is advised by the Industrial Injuries Advisory Council (IIAC), an independent scientific body, on changes to the list of occupational diseases for which Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit (IIDB) can be paid.

IIAC is carefully considering any connection between neurodegenerative diseases and the possible effects of repeated head injuries or blows to the head sustained during a career as a professional sportsperson. The Council has begun exploring the scientific literature covering various neurodegenerative diseases, which may include chronic traumatic encephalopathy and dementia. IIAC will publish its findings when the investigation is complete.

It would be premature to speculate on how the Council’s investigation will progress or whether there is enough evidence of a link between neurodegenerative diseases and professional sportspeople to meet the threshold for a new ‘prescribed disease’ to be recommended by IIAC for the purpose of IIDB entitlement.

A disease can only be recommended for prescription by IIAC if:

a) the risk to workers in a certain occupation is substantially greater than the risk to the general population, and

b) the link between the disease and the occupation can be established or presumed with reasonable certainty.

If recommendations are made by IIAC on this matter, they will be carefully considered by the department.