§ Mr. HammondTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what percentage of claimants represented by each of the top 10 claims handlers have been refused any settlement for(a) chronic bronchitis and emphysema and (b) vibration white finger of former coalminers. [52308]
§ Mr. WilsonThe percentage of claims denied for compensation under the chronic bronchitis and emphysema Claims Handling Agreement, as a percentage of total claims received, for each of the top 10 claims handlers is as follows:—
Percentage Top 10 claims handlers Ineligible Thompsons 4.8 Hugh James Ford Simey 6.3 Union of Democratic Mineworkers 4.9 Raleys 2.8 Mark Gilbert Morse 0.8 Browell Smith & Co. 1.3 Graysons 3.9 Watson Burton 1.0 Irwin Mitchells 3.6 Randell Saunders 3.5 The percentage of claims denied for compensation under the vibration white finger Claims Handling Agreement, as a percentage of total claims received, for each of the top 10 claims handlers is as follows:
Percentage Top 10 claims handlers Denied Thompsons 24.5 Browell Smith & Co. 21.6 Union of Democratic Mineworkers 11.0 Raleys 16.0 Hugh James Ford Simey 23.8 Graysons 17.6 Moss 31.2 Watson Burton 20.0 AMS Law 30.8 Towells 15.8 Some of these claimants will be submitting further evidence of vibration exposure which may allow these claims to be reconsidered. The procedure for this has been agreed with the claimants' solicitors.
§ Mr. HammondTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate she has made of the probable total compensation payout to claimants for(a) chronic bronchitis and emphysema and (b) vibration white finger of former coalminers. [52311]
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§ Mr. WilsonIt is difficult to provide an accurate estimate of costs of British Coal health claims due to the number of new claims being registered each week. Almost 700 new respiratory disease and 300 vibration white finger claims continue to be registered each week. Presently the Department estimates that the total cost of both compensation schemes will be around £6 billion.
§ Mr. HammondTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the average level of final settlement for claimants represented by each of the top 10 claims handlers for(a) chronic bronchitis and emphysema and (b) vibration white finger of former coal miners has been. [52310]
§ Mr. WilsonThe average full and final settlement for each of the top 10 claims handlers involved in the compensation claims for chronic bronchitis and emphysema is as follows:
£ Top 10 claims handlers Average full and final settlement Thompsons 6,267 Hugh James Ford Simey 8,713 Union of Democratic Mineworkers 4,281 Raleys 4,416 Mark Gilbert Morse 5,251 Browell Smith and Co. 6,719 Graysons 4,624 Watson Burton 4,936 Irwin Mitchells 6,088 Randell Saunders 6,329 The average full and final settlement for each of the top 10 claims handlers involved in the compensation claims for vibration white finger is as follows:
£ Top 10 claims handlers Average full and final settlement Thompsons 7,283 Browell Smith and Co. 9,011 Union of Democratic Mineworkers 8,052 Raleys 6,923 Hugh James Ford Simey 7,220 Graysons 5,978 Moss 6,891 Watson Burton 8,697 AMS Law 8,455 Towells 8,310