§ 7.59 p.m.
§ Baroness Farrington of Ribbleton rose to move, That the draft regulations laid before the House on 2nd July be approved [40th Report from the Joint Committee].
§ The noble Baroness said: My Lords, I beg to move the second of the Motions standing on the Order Paper in the name of my noble friend Lady Hayman. These regulations are being made under the Pneumoconiosis etc. (Workers' Compensation) Act 1979. The purpose of the regulations is to increase by 4.9 per cent. the amounts of compensation paid under the Act to those who first satisfy all the conditions of entitlement on or after 1st September 1998.
§ The Act provides for lump sum payments to be made to sufferers from certain dust-related diseases, or, when the sufferers have died, to their dependants, where there is no realistic chance of success through the courts.
§ I feel sure that all noble Lords will recognise that no amount of money will ever compensate individuals and families for their suffering and loss. These regulations do, however, allow us to ensure that the compensation provided for in the original Act maintains its value. I commend the regulations to the House.
§ Moved, That the draft regulations laid before the House on 2nd July be approved [40th Report from the Joint Committee].—(Baroness Farrington of Ribbleton.)
§ Lord Ewing of KirkfordMy Lords, I wish to ask my noble friend who is introducing the amendment regulations to what industries the regulations apply. My understanding is that for many years the pneumoconiosis regulations applied only to the mining industry. I now understand that they apply also to the Welsh slate industries and to a number of other industries.
The regulations are very welcome and the Government are to be congratulated on the increase announced by the Minister today, although victims suffer greatly as a result of the illness. I wish to get it on the record tonight that we are talking about not only the coal-mining industry, but also the slate-mining industry, particularly in relation to Wales.
§ Baroness Farrington of RibbletonMy Lords, I thank my noble friend for his question. Those covered are sufferers from respiratory industrial diseases caused 454 by dust, irrespective of industry, and, if the sufferer has died, their dependants. Most coal-miners do not need to rely on this scheme because a special scheme exists.
The diseases covered in the Act are pneumoconiosis, which includes silicosis associated with slate-quarrying, mentioned by my noble friend; asbestosis and kaolinosis associated with china clay; byssinosis, associated with cotton dust exposure, which affects areas such as the North-West and people who worked in the textile industry; and diffuse mesothelioma, asbestos-related cancer.
There may be other categories to which I am unable to refer at the moment. If that is the case, I shall write to my noble friend.
§ On Question, Motion agreed to.