HC Deb 29 November 1999 vol 340 cc27-8W
Mr. Healey

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what will be the(a) maximum and (b) minimum fee received by lawyers for work on any individual claim for compensation for (i) vibration white finger injuries and (ii) chronic bronchitis/emphysema. [100213]

Mrs. Liddell

Solicitor's costs and the precise circumstances in which those costs are met are detailed in the Handling Agreements for both diseases.

The agreed costs for most successful vibration white finger claims will be in the range of £600 plus VAT and reasonable disbursements, although in some cases the costs are dealt with on the merits of each case. For respiratory disease the agreed costs per successful claim range from £500 to £1,750 plus VAT and reasonable disbursements.

In addition to these costs the agreements also provide for the payment of costs for claims in particular instances, for example where the disputes procedures have been invoked or where complex special damages are being claimed.

Mr. Healey

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much of the provision he has made for the British Coal health liabilities in respect of compensation claims for(a) vibration white finger injuries and (b) chronic bronchitis and emphysema he estimates will be paid to lawyers in fees agreed under the scheme. [100212]

Mrs. Liddell

Solicitors costs are based on agreed tariffs set out in the Handling Agreements. It is not possible at this stage to forecast accurately the provision to cover these costs. The actual amounts paid will depend on the number of successful claims, the particular characteristics of these claims (for example, whether they have been settled by expedited payments) and the disbursements involved.

Mr. Healey

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what fees lawyers will receive under the scheme agreed for compensation for former miners suffering from(a) vibration white finger and (b) chronic bronchitis/emphysema in respect of claims which are unsuccessful. [100206]

Mrs. Liddell

Under the terms of the Handling Agreements negotiated for compensating former miners for these injuries, the Government meets the costs and reasonable disbursements of solicitors in successful claims. No such costs are reimbursed where the claim is unsuccessful. However, in the case of chronic bronchitis and emphysema in addition to the costs agreed for successful claims the Department has also agreed to make payments in respect of all claims on the Register (some 62,000) held by the Department's claim handlers as at 14 June 1999, whether the claimant is successful or not. These costs range from £25 to £100 per claim depending on the date of claim and number of claims held by the solicitor and are in recognition of client care work carried out after the Judgment and before the signing of the Agreement.