§ 3. Mr. David Watkinsasked the Secretary of State for Energy what is the total amount awarded under the recent legislation and to how many persons, to the latest available date, in respect of the deaths of miners who suffered pneumoconiosis.
§ Mr. EadieThe pneumoconiosis compensation scheme is not a statutory scheme but was agreed between the National Coal Board and the mining unions. To date the National Coal Board has made offers of payment totalling £108.4 million in 46,760 cases, and of this about £13 million, in about 14,000 cases, was to widows, dependants or the estates of men who have died.
The Coal Industry Bill provides for a Government contribution of up to £100 million to the cost of the scheme, and to date £90 million has been paid.
§ Mr. WatkinsI am most grateful to my hon. Friend for that detailed answer. In view of what he said and in the light of claims received and under consideration, does he feel that the grant of £100 million referred to in the most recent Coal Industry Act is sufficient, since concern was expressed on both sides of the House that it might not be?
§ Mr. EadieAs my hon. Friend knows, this matter was aired fairly extensively on the Floor of the House during the passage of the Coal Industry Bill. However, if my hon. Friend cares to look at the Coal Industry Examination Report, he will see that the Government have honoured their commitment to provide £100 million towards such a scheme. I emphasise that this is not a Government scheme; it is a scheme drawn up between the unions and the National Coal Board.
§ Mr. Alexander WilsonDoes my hon. Friend accept that this scheme was conceived too hurriedly? Although we congatulate the Labour Government on their grant of £100 million, do they not realise that £100 million is not nearly sufficient to cover existing cases? Will my hon. Friend now reconsider the position in relation to commuted cases and give something extra to the widows involved—preand post-1970?
§ Mr. EadieI am grateful to my hon. Friend for drawing attention to the fact that this was a unique scheme in the business of the House of Commons and contributed substantially to those suffering from pneumoconiosis. I am sure that my hon. Friend will agree, however, that when we discussed this matter on the Floor of the House, there was no lack of sympathy or concern on the part of the Government, although we had to point out that £100 million was the grant made by the Government for the scheme, that the scheme was one drawn up between the unions and the National Coal Board, and that any alteration to the scheme would require to be negotiated between the parties to it.
§ Mr. WoodallDoes my hon. Friend agree that this scheme has been widely accepted and welcomed by the entire mining industry? Will he consider making representations to his right hon. Friend that some suggestion might be made to both sides of the industry for a slight increase in the price of a ton of coal to all consumers, in order to remedy the shortfall now envisaged and also to take account of the commuted cases?
§ Mr. EadieI am sure that the whole House will have listened to the point by my hon. Friend, in view of his background knowledge of the mining industry. He was right to say that the scheme had received a universal welcome by all those engaged in the mining industry. I can only tell him that since we debated this matter at length his point and those made by other hon. Members will be noted by all those concerned with any increase in or amendment to the scheme.