§ Mr. BarronTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many claimants have received a final settlement through each of the top 10 claims handlers for(a) chronic bronchitis and emphysema and (b) vibration white finger of former coalminers. [50813]
§ Mr. WilsonNationally for chronic bronchitis and emphysema, the Department has made almost 68,500 individual payments and settled 24,000 claims, amounting to £293.6 million. In relation to vibration white finger (VWF), the Department has made 84,000 individual payments and settled over 38,000 claims, worth £512.1 million.
In the time given, the Department cannot provide data broken down by claims handlers.
§ Mr. BarronTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much has been paid to date to each of the top 10 claims handlers involved in the compensation claims for(a) chronic bronchitis and emphysema and (b) vibration white finger of former coalminers. [50526]
§ Mr. Wilson(a) The amount paid to each of the top 10 claims handlers involved in the compensation claims for chronic bronchitis and emphysema is as follows:
Top 10 claims handlers Costs paid (£ million) Thompsons 11.3 Hugh James Ford Simey 8.9 UDM 3.1 Raleys 4.8 Mark Gilbert Morse 0.8 Browell Smith & Co. 3.8 Graysons 2.2 Watson Burton 1.6 Irwin Mitchells 2.5 Randell Saunders 0.5 Total 39.5 (b) The amount paid to each of the top 10 claims handlers involved in the compensation claims for vibration white finger is as follows:
Top 10 claims handlers Costs paid (£ million) Thompsons 6.1 Browell Smith & Co. 4.5 UDM 3.9 Raleys 3.2 Hugh James Ford Simey 3.2 Graysons 2.2 Moss 1.5 Watson Burton 2.1 AMS Law 1.2 Towells 1.5 Total 29.3
§ Mr. BarronTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much has been paid to claimants1142W through each of the top 10 claims handlers involved in the compensation claims for (a) chronic bronchitis and emphysema and (b) vibration white finger of former coalminers. [50525]
§ Mr. Wilson(a) The amount paid to claimants through each of the top 10 claims handlers for chronic bronchitis and emphysema is as follows:
Top 10 claims handlers Total damages paid (£ million) Thompsons 68.0 Hugh James Ford Simey 56.6 Union of Democratic Mineworkers 16.8 Raleys 30.2 Mark Gilbert Morse 5.6 Browell Smith & Co. 22.9 Graysons 10.4 Watson Burton 7.9 Irwin Mitchells 14.0 Randell Saunders 4.0 Total 236.4 (b) The amount paid to claimants through each of the top 10 claims handlers for vibration white finger, VWF, is as follows.
Top 10 claims handlers Total damages paid (£ million) Thompsons 74.1 Browell Smith & Co. 44.1 Union of Democratic Mineworkers 46.1 Raleys Solicitors 30.3 Hugh James Ford Simey 30.8 Graysons 23.4 Moss 15.3 Watson Burton 24.6 AMS Law 13.8 Towells 17.5 Total 320.1