2.—(1) In section 76 of the principal Act, after subsection (4) (power to make regulations for determining, among other things, the time at which a person is to be treated as having developed a prescribed injury or disease) insert the following subsection—
“(4A) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, the power conferred by subsection (4)(a) above includes power to provide that the time at which a person shall be treated as having developed a prescribed disease or injury shall be the date on which he first makes a claim which results in the payment of benefit by virtue of this Chapter in respect of that disease or injury.”.
(2) In section 77 of that Act, at the end of subsection (2) (power to modify provisions relating to disablement benefit and its administration) add—
“and for the purposes of this subsection the provisions of this Act which relate to the administration of disablement benefit or reduced earnings allowance shall be taken to include section 154A and any provision which relates to the administration of both the benefit in question and other benefits.”.
(3) Regulations 6(2)(c), 23 and 34 of the Social Security (Industrial Injuries) (Prescribed Diseases) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1986(1) (onset of occupational deafness and time for claiming in respect of occupational deafness or occupational asthma), and any former regulations which they directly or indirectly re-enact with or without amendment, shall be taken to be, and always to have been, validly made.