To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how much has been refunded by firms of solicitors who abused the terms of payment in respect of the Miners' Compensation Scheme, broken down by firm. (151757)

The Department meets the costs of claimants' legal representatives under the terms of both the Vibration White Finger and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease schemes. However, we would not be privy to any additional agreement reached between claimants and their solicitors.

Despite this, the Department understands that solicitors have repaid well over £2.5 million to date as a result of actions taken by the Department to draw attention to these issues as well as actions taken by the Legal Complaints Service and Solicitors Regulation Authority. The Department is unable to provide a breakdown of this figure by firms of solicitors.