§ Mr. Wigleyasked the Secretary of State for Employment on what basis he has decided to pay compensation to applicants under the Pneumoconiosis (Workers Compensation) Act 1979 only from the date of consideration of their cases by the pneumoconiosis medical panel rather than from the date from which the panel determines that they are suffering from the disease.
§ Mr. MayhewAs I explained during the debate on the motion to approve the Pneumoconiosis etc. (Workers' compensation) (Payment of Claims) Regulations on 17 December, the age and assessed level of disability of the disabled person at the time of the first determination by a pneumoconiosis medical board that he was suffering from the disease have been taken for the purpose of determining the amounts of payments to be made under the Act, because records of this information are readily available in the great majority of cases. In particular, these are the only records now available for 361W many disabled persons who died over five years ago. I have recently written to the hon. Member in more detail about this.
§ Mr. Wigleyasked the Secretary of State for Employment how many applications he has received for compensation under the Pneumoconiosis (Workers Compensation) Act 1979; how many of these relate to the slate quarrying industry; how many of the slate quarrying applications are regarded as coming within the terms of the Act; how many appear to be outside the terms of the Act; how many of the slate quarrying applications have already been paid, or notified of, the compensation they are to receive; and by when he expects payment to be made to the remaining applicants who had made their application before the end of 1979.
§ Mr. Mayhew3,038 applications have been received; 644 are from former slate workers or their dependants, 68 of the slate applicants have been informed that they appear not to satisfy one or more of the entitlement conditions. There are almost certain to be some more who are discovered not to satisfy the conditions, but I expect these to be relatively few. 121 slate applicants have been notified of the payment they will receive, and have either been paid or are about to be paid. I regret that I cannot give any date by which all payments will be made in respect of those who had made their application before the end of 1979. I have written to the hon. Member about this.