§ Sir Peter LloydTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the letter of 11 March from the Minister of State for the Armed Forces, what was(a) the highest individual payment, (b) the lowest (c) the average of the asbestos-related compensation payments made to civilian employees of his Department from 1987 to the end of 1995. [22941]
§ Mr. SoamesIn accordance with normal legal practice, the level of payments varies greatly accordingly to individual factors such as the person's loss of income, and the number and age of his dependants. The highest individual compensation payment made on behalf of my Department to a civilian employee or ex-employee in respect of an asbestos-related claim during the period in question was £298,080. The lowest was about £1,500. The average settlement—the total amount of compensation paid during the period divided by the number of claims paid—was £18,165; this figure includes claimants' legal costs.