§ 24. Mr. ProsserTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what action she is taking to speed up coal-related compensation payments in the former east Kent coalfield area. [2058]
§ Mr. WilsonAs my predecessor, my right hon. Friend the Member for Airdrie and Shotts (Mrs. Liddell), informed my hon. Friend at the end of last year, we recognise that the start-up of the respiratory disease scheme was too slow. We took a number of initiatives to tackle this and get money out more quickly.
Significant progress is now being made, and since the beginning of the year the number of medical assessments GB-wide has risen to around 830 a week, with the total number increasing from 8,500 in January to over 24,000 now.
In the south of England alone we paid out nearly £7 million in compensation for respiratory and vibration related diseases.