§ Mr. ToddTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what progress has been made to resolve the potential liability for compensation to those who suffered injury from dust from working in surface areas in the mining industry; and if she will make a statement. [17705]
§ Mr. WilsonThe Department's initial proposals for handling surface only claims under the Claims Handling Agreement (CHA), put to the Claimants' Solicitors Co-ordinating Group (CG) in July 2000, were rejected.
683WTo move matters forward, the Department and the CG have carried out a joint study of the impact of surface dust on surface only workers. The Department has proposed that the parties' medical experts should meet in December to discuss their findings. Their conclusions will help to inform the way forward. Offers are already being made to 'mixed' claimants (who worked both underground and in surface dusty occupations) with the agreement of the CG.