§ Mr. EnnisTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) how many bereavement awards have been granted to date to the widows of former miners under the mineworkers' compensation scheme; [142818]
(2) what (a) maximum and (b) minimum bereavement award has been granted to the widows of former miners under the mineworkers' compensation scheme. [142819]
35W
§ Mrs. LiddellAs at 3 December the Department had paid some 4,400 Bereavement Awards and Loss of Society Awards (the equivalent in Scotland), totalling nearly £37 million, to widows of former miners suffering from respiratory diseases. Individual awards ranged from £3,591 to £13,490, with the average award being £8,492 (these vary because of the different statutory awards, dependent on the date of death, and accumulated interest).
§ Dr. David ClarkTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will waive the additional Government-sponsored health test from those former miners who are assessed by the Benefits Agency as suffering from chronic bronchitis and emphysema. [142634]
§ Mrs. LiddellThe Department is legally obliged to ensure that compensation is properly paid out in accordance with the High Court ruling on the conditions for which British Coal were found liable. An examination has been made of the possibility of using the DSS medical; regrettably, they are not sufficiently detailed to allow an accurate assessment of the degree of injury for which compensation is to be paid and take no account of exposure to dust or of smoking or the progression of disability over time, which are required by the court to enable the accurate assessment of special damages.