HC Deb 02 November 2000 vol 355 cc581-2W
Mr. Alasdair Morgan

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many(a) Scottish and (b) UK claimants of compensation for mining-related respiratory diseases have (i) received their final settlement and (ii) died before receiving their final settlement. [135123]

Mrs. Liddell

To date the Department has settled 5,161 claims in full and final settlement, of these 557 were claimants in Scotland.

IRISC, the Department's claims handling agents, have been informed of 6,314 claims where the claimant has died since lodging a claim, of these 612 were claimants in Scotland.

Issues remain outstanding that prevent full and final offers in all cases. These issues are in discussion with the solicitors representing the claimants and in the meantime, wherever possible, we will continue to make interim offers following the full assessments, the level of such have been significantly increased to enable offers totalling £100 million to be made by Christmas.

Mr. Alasdair Morgan

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he expects all compensation payments to ex-miners suffering from respiratory diseases to have been completed. [135121]

Mrs. Liddell

The Department has received around 123,000 claims and these continue to rise by around 1,000 a week. This is a unique process as the biggest personal injury cases in British history, an estimate of two to three years has been given but kept under review. Under normal circumstances, with full court action, the process can take a minimum 10 to 15 years. We are giving priority to claims from those most old and ill, widows and those most likely (on the basis of initial testing) to have emphysema.