## Advisors 

13. —(1) The Board may appoint one or more persons to act as advisors to the Board. 

(2) A person may be appointed as an advisor only if it appears to the Board that the person has expertise that makes that person a suitable person to provide advice to the Board. 

(3) The Board may at any time terminate the appointment of an advisor. 

## Annual report 

14. —(1) The Board must, as soon as practicable after the end of each financial year, send to the Executive Office a report on the exercise of the Board’s functions during that year. 

(2) The Executive Office must, in the case of each report sent to it under this paragraph, lay a copy of the report before the Northern Ireland Assembly. 

(3) In this paragraph, “financial year” means— 

(a) the period beginning with the day on which the Board is established under section 1 and ending with the next 31 March following that date, and 

(b) each successive period of twelve months ending with 31 March. 

## Assessment of degree of disablement 

## Assessment of disablement 

## SCHEDULE 2 

## Regulation 15(8) 

1. —(1) The degree of the disablement caused by a relevant incident is assessed by making a comparison between the condition of— 

(a) the person so disabled, and 

(b) an average, healthy person of the same age and sex who is not disabled. 

(2) In making the comparison in accordance with sub-paragraph (1), the following must not be taken into account— 

(a) the earning capacity of the person so disabled in the person’s trade or occupation or any other trade or occupation, and 

(b) the effect of any individual factors or extraneous circumstances. 

(3) Where disablement is caused by more than one relevant incident, a composite assessment of the degree of disablement is to be made by reference to the combined effect of all such incidents. 

(4) Subject to sub-paragraph (5), where the sole injury which an applicant suffers as a result of the relevant incident is one specified in column 1 of Schedule 2 to the Social Security (General Benefit) Regulations 1982 (prescribed degrees of disablement), whether or not such injury incorporates one or more other injuries so specified, the assessed degree of disablement suffered by the applicant as a result of that injury is the degree of disablement specified in column 2 of that Schedule. 

(5) The degree of disablement assessed in accordance with paragraph (4) is subject to such increase or reduction of that degree of disablement as may be reasonable in the circumstances of the case where that degree of disablement does not provide a reasonable assessment of the degree of disablement resulting from the relevant incident. 

(6) Where the assessed degree of disablement is increased or decreased in accordance with sub- paragraph (6), the health care professional conducting the assessment must make a record of the reason for the increase or decrease. 

(7) For the purpose of assessing the degree of disablement resulting from an injury not specified in Column 1 of Schedule 2 to the Social Security (General Benefit) Regulations 1982, the health 

