HC Deb 16 November 1998 vol 319 cc426-7W
Mr. Ruane

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what compensation has been paid by nuclear companies to those suffering from radiation-induced illness in each of the past 10 years. [59613]

Mr. Battle

The UK civil nuclear industry (BNFL, BNFL Magnox Generation Group, UKAEA, Nuclear Electric Ltd., Scottish Nuclear Ltd. and Urenco (Capenhurst) Ltd.) plus MOD, the Atomic Weapons Establishment and Devonport and Rosyth Dockyards and all civil and military nuclear associated trade unions have a voluntary scheme for determining compensation due to employees or former employees who develop radiation-linked diseases. Between the introduction of the Scheme in 1982 and the end of 1997, compensation payments have been awarded in 75 cases with over £3¼ million in compensation being paid. Details on the number and totals of compensation payments made in each of the past ten years are as follows:

Year Awards Total amount of compensation paid (£) Participants
1988 2 39,337 BNFL (1982), UKAEA (1987)
1989 2 51,267
1990 3 115,431
1991 4 136,346
1992 7 378,002
1993 5 110,088 Nuclear Electric, Scottish Nuclear, BNFL/Magnox Generation Group and URENCO (Capenhurst) join
1993 14 192,633
1994 20 1,011,746 MOD and AWE join
1995 6 257,920
1996 10 341,946
1996 10 341,946
1997 1 20,000 Devonport and Rosyth docklands join
1997 11 21,244
1 Following changes in the method of technical assessment, this led to a subsequent re-analysis of past claims. Further compensation was awarded to five pre-1991 cases.

Since 1995 the employers and unions from the organisations participating in the Scheme agreed that, in order to protect the identification of individual claimants, information on successful claims will be provided only for the compensation scheme as a whole. Details on the compensation scheme payments have therefore been contained in an Annual Press Statement from the Compensation Scheme for Radiation Linked Diseases. I am arranging for copies of the annual statements for 1995, 1996 and 1997 to be placed in the Library of the House. I understand that the annual statement for 1998 is to be published shortly and I will arrange for copies of this statement to be similarly placed.