§ Mr. CummingsTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many claims have been submitted in respect of(a) chronic bronchitis and emphysema and (b) vibration white finger; and when he expects all claims to be settled. [99210]
§ Mrs. LiddellAs at 14 November the Department's claim handlers, IRISC, had received 89,206 claims from former miners and their families for chronic bronchitis and emphysema, and 52,157 claims for vibration white finger.
On 24 September we signed the Handling Agreement with the solicitors representing the miners, which sets out the procedures for settling 100,000+ expected respiratory disease claims. On 5 October the contract to deliver the full Medical Assessment Process was awarded to Healthcall. The first full medical assessments should begin in the next month. We expect all claimants to have been assessed within the next three years.
In July we awarded a contract to SEMA Group for the delivery of the VWF medical assessment process. Tests began in September, seven centres are now open, and SEMA plan to have 12 centres in operation across the mining regions by January. We expect the majority of claimants to have been assessed by the end of next year.
As at 14 November we had made payments to both respiratory and VWF claimants totalling some £90.7 million.
§ Mr. ToddTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the locations, dates of opening or proposed dates of opening are of centres for medical assessment of claims for vibration white finger. [98683]
§ Mrs. LiddellThere are currently seven centres in operation in Barnsley, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Mansfield, Newcastle and Sheffield. We expect a further five centres to be up and running by January 2000 in Kent, Manchester, Nottingham, Swansea and Wakefield. The locations for this initial tranche of centres were determined by balancing the geographic distribution of claimants against the availability of the medical resource needed to undertake the testing. We are assessing the options for opening further centres early next year.
§ Mr. ToddTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many claims his Department has received in respect of respiratory disease; and in respect of how many claims spirometry has been completed. [98744]
§ Mrs. LiddellAs at 14 November the Department's claim handlers, IRISC, had received 89,206 claims from former miners and their families, of which 28,000 are from widows and dependants.
33WAs at 16 November 26,114 claimants had undergone spirometry tests, with a further 14,400 having been invited to make appointments.
§ Mr. ToddTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list by county of residence the numbers of(a) claims received in respect of respiratory disease,
Region Respiratory claims received Amount paid in respect of interim/expedited offers (£) VWF claims received Amount paid in respect of interim and general damage offers (£) Anglia 301 111,511.45 128 127,545.81 Midlands 16,641 9,234,386.60 10,538 7,655,014.00 North East 33,195 15,119,472.88 26,745 27,833,543.41 North West 5,629 1,801,594.42 2,374 1,317,027.87 Northern Ireland 8 2,000 4 0.00 Scotland 7,687 2,909,873.85 3,714 4,172,361.99 South Central 134 51,727.15 37 20,876.74 South East 1,368 354,182.59 472 94,816.39 South West 599 70,308.35 50 17,578.21 Wales 23,414 9,300,331.58 7,998 5,639,601.83 London 277 48,000.00 87 12,610.88
§ Mr. ToddTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many claims have been made for respiratory disease where the claimant has since died. [98685]
§ Mrs. LiddellAs at 14 November IRISC, the Department's claim handlers, have registered 28,249 claims on behalf of the widows or dependants of former miners. However, IRISC have been notified by solicitors of the date of death in only 21,087 cases. 2,980 of these deaths occurred after the date of claim.