HC Deb 22 July 2004 vol 424 cc509-10W
Mr. Foulkes

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many compensation claims received for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and vibration white finger damages are waiting to be processed; and what the average time taken to process a claim is. [183247]

Nigel Griffiths

There are around 428,000 respiratory disease claims waiting to be settled. 380,000 were submitted in the last six months alone. The time taken to process a claim is dependent on the time it takes the claimants' representatives and the Department's contractors to provide all the required information for the full Medical Assessment Process (MAP) to take place. The average is two years for a live claim and one year for a deceased claim from registration to MAP.

There are some 79,000 Vibration White Finger (VWF) claims waiting to be settled. The average time taken from registration of claim to settlement is around 2.5 years and is defendant on the factors mentioned above.

Adam Price

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many chest disease coal-related compensation claim remain outstanding; how many have been settled in the last 12 months; and when the Government expect to settle all chest disease coal-related compensation claims. [185765]

Nigel Griffiths

There are over 428,000 claims still to settle. 280,000 came in during the last six months before the cut off date. In the last 12 months some 54,000 claims have been settled.

With regard to the timetable for settling outstanding claims, I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by my noble Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Trade and industry in the House of Lords on 21 April 2004, Official Report, column WA49.