Industrial Diseases: Compensation Paul Farrelly To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many claims by former miners or their families have yet to be settled in respect of compensation for (a) chronic bronchitis, emphysema or other respiratory diseases, (b) vibration white finger, (c) carpal tunnel syndrome and (d) pneumoconiosis in (i) Stoke-on-Trent Central, (ii) Stoke-on-Trent North, (iii) Stoke-on-Trent South, (iv) Stone and (v) Stafford constituencies; and how many claimants in each category have received interim payments. Malcolm Wicks [holding answer 11 June 2007]: The following tables show the information requested. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) covers chronic bronchitis and emphysema. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | |Miners|Families|Miners|Families|Miners|Families| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |COPD claims |Claims registered |762 |1,123 |928 |1,710 |1,578 |1,752 | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | |Claimants who have received an interim payment|112 |161 |135 |274 |165 |240 | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | |Total outstanding |124 |427 |141 |653 |237 |691 | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | |Total settlements |638 |696 |787 |1,057 |1,341 |1,061 | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | | | | | | | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |VWF claims |Claims registered |434 |55 |446 |56 |993 |96 | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | |Claimants who received an interim payment |152 |11 |187 |11 |408 |29 | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | |Total outstanding |32 |5 |47 |5 |110 |6 | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | |Total settlements |402 |50 |401 |51 |883 |90 | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | | | | | | | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |Carpal tunnel syndrome claims|Claims registered |43 |6 |34 |3 |108 |3 | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | |Claimants who received an interim payment |20 |4 |15 |1 |60 |2 | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | |Total outstanding |4 |1 |4 |— |22 |1 | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | |Total settlements |39 |5 |28 |3 |86 |2 | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | |Miners|Families|Miners|Families| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |COPD claims |Claims registered |592 |532 |133 |135 | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | |Claimants who have received an interim payment|37 |70 |6 |10 | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | |Total outstanding |79 |209 |14 |52 | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | |Total settlements |513 |323 |119 |83 | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | | | | | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |VWF claims |Claims registered |340 |22 |74 |7 | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | |Claimants who received an interim payment |135 |4 |30 |1 | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | |Total outstanding |29 |1 |11 |— | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | |Total settlements |311 |21 |63 |7 | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | | | | | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Carpal tunnel syndrome claims |Claims registered |36 |3 |— |— | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | |Claimants who received an interim |21 |3 |— |— | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | |Total outstanding |9 |1 |— |— | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | |Total settlements |27 |2 |— |— | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Note: The figures include almost 5,000 overseas claims.| | | | | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Department is unable to identify those COPD claims which include a pneumoconiosis element. However, under the Coal Workers Pneumoconiosis Scheme (CWPS) we have received 83,759 claims, 82,595 of which have been settled by payment, denial or withdrawal. We have realised that there was an error in the answer given to the parliamentary question tabled on the 6 June 2007, recorded in Hansard on 23 May 2007, Official Report, column 1351W, regarding the figures for pneumoconiosis under CWPS. I have written to you about the error and will place copies of the letter in the Libraries of the House.