§ Mr. HepburnTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many miners' compensation claims for respiratory diseases(a) have been made, (b) have been settled and (c) are outstanding in (i) the Jarrow constituency, (ii) South Tyneside and (iii) the UK in each year since 1997. [149913]
§ Nigel GriffithsClaims are dealt with on a priority basis, those from the eldest and sickest living miners and their widows being deal with first. Claims that are outstanding may be a lower priority or they may have an outstanding policy issue that is preventing settlement of the claim.
The figures are:
374W
Year claim registered Claim receipts Total settlements including denied/withdrawn (as of 16 January 2004) Number outstanding Jarrow 19971 9 5 4 19981 93 55 38 19991 140 75 65 2000 92 45 47 2001 191 59 132 20022 128 19 109 20032 415 3 412 2004 36 — 36 Total 1,104 261 843 ('CARAD'), before and since the change in the innovation budget structure in 2001–02.
The following table is based on information published in the 1999 and subsequent departmental reports, where more details and explanation can be found. It includes expenditure on 'Support of the construction industry' under 'Industrial Exploitation of Science' and 'Support for Competitiveness' from 2002–03 (following a machinery of government transfer of responsibility in 2001) and on the Invest to Save Budget funded biotechnology portal, `i-bio.gov.uk', under 'Support for Competitiveness'.
Year claim registered Claim receipts Total settlements including denied/withdrawn (as of 16 January 2004) Number outstanding South Tyneside 19971 15 8 7 19981 298 162 136 19991 344 172 172 2000 276 135 141 2001 560 180 380 20022 371 53 318 20032 1,102 18 1,084 2004 99 — 99 Total 3,065 728 2,337 United Kingdom 19971 3,219 2,258 961 19981 53,544 35,977 17,567 19991 28,711 17,288 11,423 2000 36,665 18,617 18,048 2001 44,178 18,279 25,899 20022 39,56 10,216 29,344 20032 168,574 3,000 165,574 2004 17,097 29 17,068 Total 391,548 105,664 285,884 1 The Department was not able to process claims until after the signing of the Claims Handling Agreement, agreed with the claimants' solicitors, on 24 September 1999. 2 Estate claims put on hold as a lower priority, in agreement with claimants solicitors. Notes:
1. South Tyneside consists of the Jarrow and South Shields constituencies.
2. Constituency figures can be found on the DTI website www.dti.gov.uk/coalhealth The information is complied in the middle of the month and shows figures for the end of the previous month.