§ Mr. Gwilym Robertsasked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will allocate more money to the pneumoconiosis benefit scheme in order that it can include the pre-1948 commuted cases and all the widows of former miners who suffered from this disease; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. EadieBy any standards the Government contribution of £100 million must be regarded as an extremely generous one, and there is no possibility in the current economic climate of increasing it. The scheme itself was set up by the 227W coal industry, and the rules governing benefit are a matter for the National Coal Board and the mining unions.