On 19 May 2009 (Official Report, col. WA 283), I responded to a Written Parliamentary Question from Lord Lofthouse (HL 3425) in which he asked the Government how many solicitors have yet to appear before the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT) to answer allegations of professional misconduct in the handling of cases under the British Coal respiratory disease litigation and British Coal vibration white finger litigation.

The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) kindly supplied the necessary information, detailing 68 solicitors from 14 solicitors firms yet to appear before the SDT in relation to coal health compensation claims. This included Michael Foxford, John Didsbury, Conal Gallagher, Carlos Lopez, Jamie Patton, Paul Pickering, William Robbins, Moira Boyce, Judith Bell, Christine Harris, Susan Liver, Catherine MacCracken, Adele Gallagher, Gail Peterson and Rhonda Rosenfield of Birchall Blackburn LLP in Preston.

We have since been notified by the SRA that, unfortunately, the information supplied had not been updated to reflect the fact that the decision to refer a number of solicitors of Birchall Blackburn LLP had been rescinded in January 2009. As such, only Michael Foxford and Moira Boyce of Birchall Blackburn LLP face allegations relating to the handling of coal health claims.