§ Mr. Gwynfor Evansasked the Secretary of State for Energy (1) if he will take steps to abolish the 10 years' employment qualification in the joint Government-National Coal Board Compensation Scheme for pneumoconiosis sufferers and their dependants and make special provisions in the scheme for men who settled for lump-sum payments under the Workmen's Compensation Act;
(2) if he will end the joint Government-National Coal Board Compensation Scheme's distinction between dependants of those pneumoconiosis sufferers who died before 26th January 1970 and dependants of those who died between that date and 1st October 1974 so that 161W the former group may receive the same scale of benefit as the latter.
§ Mr. EadieNo. Conditions of the Coal Industry Pneumoconiosis Compensation Scheme are a matter for negotiation between the National Coal Board and the mining unions.