HC Deb 27 July 2000 vol 354 cc721-2W
Dr. David Clark

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many former miners have attended the full medical assessment process at each of the spirometry centres in Durham and Newcastle; and what the figures are for each of the other centres in Great Britain. [132871]

Mrs. Liddell

As at 17 July, the number of full medical assessments per centre was:

Centre Number of assessments completed
Ayr 44
Barnsley 7
Cannock 5
Chesterfield 4
Coventry 12
Durham 8
Edinburgh 83
Glasgow 79
Leeds 12
Lochore 57
Manchester 13
Mansfield 77
Mexborough 32
Mountain Ash 130

Centre Number of assessments complete
Newcastle 11
Newport 289
Nottingham 58
Pontefract 45
Sheffield 76
Swansea 217
Domiciliary visits 139
Total 1,398

Healthcall have the capacity to carry out 2,500 assessments per month now, rising steadily by September, but the actual throughput at each centre depends greatly on the speed with which solicitors send in the completed Claims Questionnaires and record holders release medical records. The rate at which solicitors are returning completed Claims Questionnaires and Mandates has picked up, but we still urge solicitors to do all they can to increase the numbers being sent to us. We have the capacity to deal with them.