§ Mr. ToddTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether those whose mining compensation claims have been concluded based on erroneous pension calculations will receive payment of any balance due on a correct recalculation. [155595]
§ Nigel GriffithsThe Department has agreed with the claimants' solicitors that where an offer of compensation is made using the interim pensions spreadsheet in the absence of a final version of the calculator, claimants may either:
- i. accept the offer as a full and final settlement of all heads of damage, including pension loss, in which case there is no entitlement to a top-up payment; or,
- ii. accept the offer in full and final settlement of all heads of damage, except pension loss, in which case the claimant may claim a top-up payment once the calculator is finalised.
§ Andy BurnhamTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many claims for(a) chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and (b) vibration white finger have been received to date under the Coal Health Compensation Scheme from the (a) Leigh, (b) Makerfield and (c) Wigan constituencies; and how many have received (i) full and final settlement and (ii) an interim award only. [156727]
987W
Nigel Giffiths[holding answer 1 March 2004]: The figures as of 31 January 2004 are:
Claims received Full and final settlements Interim payments Leigh COPD 3,779 974 603 VWF 701 422 388 Makerfield COPD 3,015 675 453 VWF 646 349 378 Wigan COPD 2,553 537 388 VWF 366 180 186 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 the figures for the end of the previous month.
§ Andy BurnhamTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the cumulative total paid out under the Coal Health Compensation Scheme to former miners and their families in the(a) Leigh, (b) Makerfield and (c) Wigan constituencies was in each of the last five years. [156728]
§ Nigel Griffiths [holding answer 1 March 2004]The figures are:
£ Total damages paid1 Leigh 1999 443,229 2000 1,439,124 2001 3,197,967 2002 6,240,815 2003 10,999,680 Makerfield 1999 337,963 2000 1,234,187 2001 2,766,916 2002 5,154,127 2003 9,114,523 Wigan 1999 193,935 2000 772,161 2001 1,694,785 2002 3,494,494 2003 6,027,178 1Cumulative as at end of year. Notes: 1. Statistics represent COPD and VWF claims combined. 2.Total damages paid are cumulative as at the end of the year. 3. Produced from data copy as at 22 February 2004. 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 the figures for the end of the previous month.