HC Deb 22 April 2004 vol 420 cc611-3W
Mr. Allen

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list law companies who have not responded to the request to repay amounts overcharged to miners and their widows in respect of processing miners' compensation claims; and if she will make a statement. [166422]

Nigel Griffiths

[holding answer 21 April 2004]: Following is a list of solicitors who have either stated they do not intend to repay claimants, or did not respond to my letter about refunding overpayments or who have requested that they be removed from the DTI list of approved solicitors.

As you will be aware, my letters of December 2003 and February 2004 to all firms of solicitors handling these claims asked that those who had unfairly taken a proportion of miners' compensation to repay the money. I wrote to the Law Society asking them to take action to ensure that their members voluntarily refund any fees taken, rather than wait for miners to contact them. I also passed the names of all firms who did not reply, to the Law Society asking them to take urgent action to ensure that the firms comply with my request.

After looking into the issue, the Law Society has concluded that such double charging is unlikely to be justified, and is 'likely to give rise to a finding of inadequate professional service'.

List of all solicitors written to in December and/or February who have been removed from the website because they either failed to respond or asked to be removed

  • Alan Curtis Solicitors
  • Allan McDougall & Co. Solicitors
  • Andrew P. Walker & Co. Solicitors
  • Ashington Denton with Bingley Dyson & Furey
  • Barber Cartain Solicitors
  • Birchall Blackburn
  • Bleasdale & Co.
  • Brearleys Solicitors
  • Brown & Lloyd Solicitors
  • Bury & Walkers Solictors
  • Carter Hodge Solicitors
  • Castle Sanderson Solicitors
  • Clarke & Ross W.S
  • Clive Ashman Solicitors
  • Coleman Solicitors
  • Coley & Tilley
  • Cunningham Turner
  • D. W. Shaw Solicitors
  • DA Milligan & Co. Solicitors
  • Dave Johnson
  • David Handy Solicitors
  • DMH
  • Easthams Solicitors
  • Edgar Cule & Evans Solicitors
  • Edwards Abrams Doherty Solicitors
  • Elsbury-Priddin Solicitors
  • Emsleys
  • Emsleys Solicitors
  • Endlars Solicitors
  • Evans & Greaves
  • Everatt & Co.
  • Freed Kemp Rapport
  • Freeman Johnson
  • G. M. Wilson Solicitors
  • Gabb & Co.
  • Gabb & Co.
  • Gartside Harding & Davies
  • Grainger Appleyard & Fleming
  • Granville-West Chivers & Morgan
  • Granville-West Chivers & Morgan
  • Grunhut Makepeace & Duffy
  • Hamilton Joseph & Co. Solicitors
  • Hardesty Elleanor Solicitors
  • Harris & Cartwright Solicitors
  • Harrison Bundey & Co.
  • Harvey Ingram Solicitors
  • Hattersleys Solicitors
  • Heyman & Co.
  • Hickmotts Solicitors
  • Holmes & Moffitt Solicitors
  • Howard & Co. Solicitors
  • Inghams
  • Ingrams Solicitors
  • Ingrams Solicitors
  • 613W
  • J. H. Powell & Co. Solicitors
  • J. N. Bell B.A. Solicitor
  • J. P. Hall Solicitors
  • J. Peter Davies & Partners
  • Jack Thornley & Partners Solicitors
  • James Pearce & Co.
  • Jamiesons
  • John D. Williams Solicitors
  • John E. Millar & Co.
  • John Hogg & Co.
  • John Howell & Co. Solicitors
  • John O'Neill Solicitors
  • Jones-Keppe
  • Kate Patterson & Co. Solicitors
  • Lester Morrill Solicitors
  • Lofthouse & Co. Solicitors
  • Lopian Wagner Solicitors
  • Lucas & Co.
  • Maclaren Britain
  • Maidments Solicitors
  • Maidments Solicitors
  • Matthew 0. Byrne Law Office
  • Miller Samuel & Company Solicitors
  • Moseley Chapman & Kemp
  • Murray, Hamilton & Chalmers
  • Nimmo Thomson & McLean Solicitors
  • Park Hutchison Solicitors & Notaries
  • Payne Marsh & Stillwell
  • Plancey & Co.
  • Pollard Coutts & Co.
  • Ralph & Co. Solicitors
  • Richards & Lewis Solicitors
  • Roger James, Clements & Partners
  • Scanlan Westgarth Solicitors
  • Schofields
  • Sentley Wilson Bowen Solicitors
  • Silverbeck Rymer Solicitors
  • Silverman Livermore Solicitors
  • Spicketts
  • Stephensons Solicitors
  • Stripes Solicitors
  • Thomas & Co. Solicitors
  • Thomas Eggar Church Adams.