Earl Attleeasked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Answer by the Lord Sainsbury of Turville on 16 November (H.L. Deb., col. 1115), what is the Department of Trade and Industry's provision for compensation in respect of miners' respiratory diseases in each of the years 1999–2000, 2000–2001 and 2001–2002. [HL16]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Trade and Industry (Lord Sainsbury of Turville)The gross level of provision agreed in the CSR for the British Coal health liabilities assumed by the Department on 1 January 1998 is:
1999–2000 2000–2001 2001–2002 £274.8 million £490.3 million £507.5 million Due to a number of continuing uncertainties—not least an agreed tariff of damages and because each claim for special damages in particular has to be assessed individually—it is not possible to say how much will be required to meet the specific cost of miners' health claims for respiratory disease. The Government has however made clear that it will provide the funds necessary to meet the cost of legitimate claims.
78WA
Earl Attleeasked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Answer by the Lord Sainsbury of Turville on 16 November (H.L. Deb., col. 1116) regarding miners' respiratory diseases and the issue of medical assessments, what procedure is proposed if the plaintiff is too weak or ill to be moved to a specialist. [HL19]
§ Lord Sainsbury of TurvilleThe Medical Assessment Process, to be agreed with the Plaintiff Solicitors Group, will make provision for domiciliary visits in those cases where a plaintiff is considered too weak or unfit to visit a testing centre.