§ Ann ClwydTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what percentage of full and final offers her Department aims to make to former miners seeking compensation in 2002 in the Cynon Valley. [58554]
§ Mr. WilsonWith regard to the respiratory disease scheme, we are committed to making 50,000 full and final offers GB-wide by the end of 2002—of which 15,000 will be in Wales. We remain on track to meet both these commitments.
On VWF, we remain on track to have medically assessed all validated claims by spring this year.
The Department does not set constituency specific targets.
§ Ann ClwydTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what range of post-medical assessments procedure offers on vibration white finger and respiratory disease have been made in the Cynon valley. [58553]
984W
§ Mr. WilsonClaims for both respiratory disease and vibration white linger are settled under the tariffs detailed in the Claims Handling Agreements agreed between the Department and the claimants' solicitors. Claims are assessed on an individual basis, there are no minimum or maximum levels. In Cynon valley the range of offers is broken down as follows:
£ Minimum Maximum Respiratory disease Nil 157,941 Vibration white finger Nil 27,410
§ Ann ClwydTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what percentage of miners' compensation claims registered in(a) the UK, (b) England, (c) Wales and (d) the Cynon valley have been settled with regard to (i) respiratory disease and (ii) vibration white finger. [58555]
§ Mr. WilsonDetailed below is a breakdown of the percentage of claims which have received full and final settlement, broken down by scheme and location.
GB-wide England Wales Cynon valley Respiratory disease Total number of claims 186,874 138,313 35,468 3,469 Total claims settled 26,337 19,816 4,923 431 Percentage of claims settled 14.1 14.3 13.9 12 Vibration white finger Total number of claims 141,487 115,505 17,554 1,952 Total claims settled 40,250 30,623 6,533 647 Percentage of claims settled 28.4 26.5 37.2 33
§ Ann ClwydTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what measures have been taken in South Wales to speed up the compensation process for former miners. [58557]
§ Mr. WilsonThe Department continues to work with the claimants' solicitors and other parties, through the Welsh Ministerial Monitoring Sub-Group, chaired by my hon. Friend, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Wales, to ensure that any backlogs and delays are dealt with as expeditiously as possible. Our claims handlers, IRISC, set up an office in Cardiff last year to speed up the handling of Welsh claims. Staff there work closely with the local solicitors.
The system is being constantly refined and improved. I have set clear targets which are on course to be met, and which will see 15,000 full and final respiratory disease offers made by the end of year. In Wales alone we have already seen over £152 million paid out under the coal health schemes.
§ Ann ClwydTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what percentage and what number of live claimants have undergone the full medical assessment process in the Cynon valley. [58556]
§ Mr. WilsonIn Cynon valley, 966 live respiratory disease claimants have been medical assessed, this forms 57 per cent. of the total number of live claimants.
985WIn relation to vibration white finger, 1,196 live claimants have been medical assessed, this forms 64 per cent. of the total number of live claimants in Cynon valley.