To national disbelief, another five cases are being brought by soldiers claiming the Army was negligent in not supplying them with sun cream while serving with Unifil peace-keeping force in the Lebanon.It also emerged an officer awarded pounds 25,000 last year in a “deafness” claim is in line to lead an infantry battalion, even though his medical assessment recommends he should not go within 300 yards of heavy weapons.In addition 15 soldiers are suing the state claiming they suffered food- poisoning at an off-duty barbecue in the Lebanon.John Lucey, general secretary of Irish soldiers’ association said the claims were serious and criticised “trivialisation” of the issue. Estimates of the eventual bill plus costs have since grown to over pounds 2bn.
Other bets offered include 20-1 on claims for sore throats due to singing marching songs; 5-1 on soldiers suing for travel sickness during journeys to the Lebanon; 25-1 on compensation for money lost at an Army day out at the races; and 500-1 on the Army winning a collective Oscar for acting.More than 10,500 past and present Irish soldiers (including a retired brigadier general) have so far brought deafness claims. The scandal has been growing since last April when the Dail was told 350 cases had been settled, and pounds 350m would be needed to resolve all claims. Paddy Power bookmakers insisted its new odds were genuine, and offered in response to public anger at the scale of deafness claims. A Dublin bookmaker has responded to general disgust at the numbers of Irish Army personnel claiming compensation for hearing loss during artillery training by offering 10-1 odds on soldiers suing for impaired vision due to glare from over-shiny boots.

Those of working age who through illness, disability or caring responsibilities cannot work, will always be protected by a Labour government.”Mr Blair set out four founding principles for change: society had a responsibility to help people in genuine need, unable to look after themselves; individuals had a responsibility to provide for themselves, when they could so; work was the best way out of poverty for those able to work; and fraud and abuse would not be tolerated.More detail was provided by Frank Field, the minister for welfare reform, in a speech to the Thatcherite Centre for Policy Studies last night.He said there was no question of a “big bang” approach to reform, because that would risk collateral damage to the innocent, but he did argue for a “patchwork”, “a rich diversity” or a “mixed economy” of welfare provision”, with the Government as a partner, not a dictator, in the construction of a new welfare state.Leader, page 20Politics, page 10. Then tell me the status quo is an option.”Among the many points made in a fact-packed assortment of social security “focus files”, it was stated that while one in ten had been living in poverty when Margaret Thatcher became Prime Minister in 1979, the figure was now one in five – defined as those living on less than half average income.Another “focus file” said the poorest 10 per cent of pensioners were on an average weekly gross income of pounds 69.90, compared with pounds 602.50 for the top 10 per cent of pensioners.There was no mention of the “affluence test” mooted at the weekend by Harriet Harman, the Secretary of State for Social Security, and Mr Blair said: “The state pension will remain the foundation for security in retirement. A long-term, thought-out change of structure was necessary, even if the rewards did not come until the next century.”To those who doubt we should do it,” the Prime Minister said, “to those who believe it is too risky, too tricky, or even unnecessary, I say examine the evidence.”With your head, I ask you to look at the facts With your heart, I ask you to look at the current suffering. In 1993, they had attempted to generate a debate for change, but the problems had continued to grow.Last night, in a speech to party members in Dudley, West Midlands, Mr Blair said the welfare state was neither a pathway out of poverty nor a route to dignity in retirement; but rather a dead end for too many.

In the end they will be forced to withdraw through lack of resources.”The Prime Minister’s spokesman said Mr Blair was attempting to deal with a legacy of failure after 18 years of Conservative government. “But as with Vietnam, they are not sure why they are there; they don’t know how to bring to an end what they are opposed to; they do not know what victory is.”But they will keep committing more troops in the hope it will lead to salvation. Our Political Editor reports on the start of a critical debate. Tony Blair last night appealed to Labour activists to help build a national consensus for change in a welfare system that had split the nation – “one nation trapped on benefits, the other paying for them.
“One nation in growing poverty, shut out from society’s mainstream, the other watching social security spending rise and rise, until it costs more than health, education, law and order and employment put together.”The Conservative leader said Mr Blair was a salesman without a product – before going on to compare the campaign to America’s disastrous and humiliating debacle in Vietnam.”This is a noble cause,” William Hague told a Parliamentary Press Gallery lunch. A campaign for welfare reform opened yesterday with the Prime Minister condemning an outdated system that had helped create two nations, while William Hague warned that welfare would be Labour’s Vietnam – a disaster.

He said he was unaware of any agents selling on to unauthorised agents.. He added that his company, along with the other European-based agencies, will receive 150 tickets per European team for each game involving a European side, and that he and his appointed agents in Europe would sell them all within Europe as stipulated by the CFO.Mike Burton, of Mike Burton Sports Travel, said that he was also dealing only within Europe with IATA-bonded travel agents appointed by him in 15 European countries. “As part of the commitment with the CFO, we appoint agents in other European countries,” he said. John Hall, of Gullivers Sports Travel, said his company only sold tickets in Europe. This is already a major concern for the authorised travel agents in Britain.The Independent spoke to two of the Fifa-authorised travel agencies based in England and asked them whether they knew of official agencies which dealt with American unofficial ticket agencies.

The relationships are solid.”The agent said all tickets would be delivered by 1 June, as soon as the authorised agents had taken delivery from the CFO, which will issue them in May. Sixty per cent of seats have been allocated to French fans, 20 per cent to sponsors and authorised agencies for distribution in travel packages, and the remaining 20 per cent to Fifa to divide between the two sides playing each game and 200 national football federations.For England’s opening game against Tunisia, which will be played on 15 June in a 60,000-seat stadium in Marseilles, 36,000 tickets will be held by people who bought them in France, 12,000 by those who bought them from authorised agents or were supplied by sponsors, and 12,000 by Fifa.England’s allocation will come from this last 12,000, and will amount to 4,800, or 8 per cent of the total.With England’s official supporters club alone having 32,000 members, many of whom will want tickets, it is obvious there will be a shortfall in supply. These are contacts that my company has used in the past with the previous World Cup and Olympics. Some are advertising tickets for every game in the competition, including the final.The French Organising Committee (CFO) says it will investigate an unauthorised American agency, 24/7 Ticket Service, based in Atlanta, which advertises worldwide on the Internet and which claims it is able to fulfil orders for World Cup tickets because it is supplied directly by official agents.Selling on World Cup tickets for profit is illegal in France and the CFO says that it will take legal action against anyone offering tickets for sale without authorisation, including companies in America.The Independent, having seen tickets being advertised by the 24/7 Ticket Service, posed as a buyer and requested tickets for various fixtures, including England’s three opening group games, the quarter- and semi-finals and the final.A 24/7 spokesman said there would be no problem and eventually agreed to provide 477 premium tickets, with a face value of approximately pounds 19,000, at a cost of pounds 244,000 (a profit of 1,184 per cent).He also provided a written confirmation that claimed: “My sources are official tour operators as assigned by Fifa in North America and Europe. However, several unauthorised companies are advertising tickets on the Internet.