HC Deb 22 January 2004 vol 416 cc1384-5W
Mr. Cummings

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many claims there have been for(a) chronic pulmonary emphysema and (b) vibration white finger in the Easington constituency; how many have been settled; and what amount of compensation has been paid to date. [148852]

Nigel Griffiths

The information is as follows:

COPD VWF
Claims received (number) 8,098 5,607
Interim payments made (number) 2,012 3,764
Full and final offers made (number) 3,541 2,218
Offers accepted (number) 2,466 1,918
Total amount paid (£ million) 24.4 38.4

Constituency figures can be found on the DTI website: www.dti.gov.uk/coalhealth. The information is compiled in the middle of the month and shows the figures for the end of the previous month.

Adam Price

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many vibration white finger cases the Government have referred to the Vibration Reference Panel; and on what date the Vibration Reference Panel was set up. [149027]

Nigel Griffiths

Three cases.

The VRP was set up on 1 September 2002.

Adam Price

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) how much the Government have charged the(a) Miners Pension Scheme and (b) British Coal Staff Superannuation Scheme for their role as guarantors in each of the last six years; [148939]

(2) how much the Government intend to charge the (a) Miners Pension Scheme and (b) British Coal Staff Superannuation Scheme in April for their role as guarantors. [148938]

Nigel Griffiths

The Government do not charge for providing the guarantee for the Mineworkers' pension Scheme or the British Coal Superannuation Scheme.

The Government guarantee that members' basic pensions as at the time of privatisation will always rise in line with inflation, irrespective of underlying economic conditions.

Any surpluses from the guaranteed fund are shared between the Government and the schemes.