§ Mr. HealeyTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many claims for compensation from miners and miners' widows have been received to date for(a) vibration white finger and (b) chronic bronchitis and emphysema in (i) South Yorkshire, (ii) Yorkshire and (iii) the UK. [97283]
§ Mrs. Liddell[holding answer 5 November 1999]: As at 1 November 1999, the Government have received 87,336 claims from ex-miners and their families for respiratory diseases, of these 17,741 are from claimants in the Yorkshire area and 11,986 of these are from South Yorkshire. On VWF, the Government have received 50,755 claims from ex-miners and their families for vibration white finger, of these 12,783 are from claimants in the Yorkshire area and 10,299 of these are from South Yorkshire.
§ Mr. HealeyTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is his estimate of the compensation that will be paid out over the next three years to miners and miners' widows for(a) vibration white finger and (b) chronic bronchitis and emphysema in (i) South Yorkshire, (ii) Yorkshire and (iii) the UK. [97282]
§ Mrs. Liddell[holding answer 5 November 1999]: The gross level of provision for the British Coal health liabilities assumed by the Department is:
Year £ million 1999–2000 228.2 2000–01 490.3 2001–02 507.5 Due to a number of uncertainties—not least the number of claims likely to be received and the actual levels of compensation payable in individual cases—it is not possible to say how much will be required to meet the specific cost of miners' health claims for vibration white finger, and chronic bronchitis and emphysema, or to provide regional breakdowns.
The Government have, however, made clear that they will provide the funds necessary to meet the cost of legitimate claims.