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Industrial Diseases
Mr. Cummings: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many claims have been submitted in respect of (a) chronic bronchitis and emphysema and (b) vibration white finger; and when he expects all claims to be settled. [99210]
Mrs. Liddell: As at 14 November the Department's claim handlers, IRISC, had received 89,206 claims from former miners and their families for chronic bronchitis and emphysema, and 52,157 claims for vibration white finger.
On 24 September we signed the Handling Agreement with the solicitors representing the miners, which sets out the procedures for settling 100,000+ expected respiratory disease claims. On 5 October the contract to deliver the full Medical Assessment Process was awarded to Healthcall. The first full medical assessments should begin in the next month. We expect all claimants to have been assessed within the next three years.
In July we awarded a contract to SEMA Group for the delivery of the VWF medical assessment process. Tests began in September, seven centres are now open, and SEMA plan to have 12 centres in operation across the mining regions by January. We expect the majority of claimants to have been assessed by the end of next year.
As at 14 November we had made payments to both respiratory and VWF claimants totalling some £90.7 million.
Mr. Todd:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the locations, dates of opening or proposed dates of opening are of centres for medical assessment of claims for vibration white finger. [98683]
Mrs. Liddell:
There are currently seven centres in operation in Barnsley, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Mansfield, Newcastle and Sheffield. We expect a further five centres to be up and running by January 2000 in Kent, Manchester, Nottingham, Swansea and Wakefield. The locations for this initial tranche of centres were determined by balancing the geographic distribution of claimants against the availability of the medical resource needed to undertake the testing. We are assessing the options for opening further centres early next year.
Mr. Todd:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many claims his Department has received in respect of respiratory disease; and in respect of how many claims spirometry has been completed. [98744]
Mrs. Liddell:
As at 14 November the Department's claim handlers, IRISC, had received 89,206 claims from former miners and their families, of which 28,000 are from widows and dependants.
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As at 16 November 26,114 claimants had undergone spirometry tests, with a further 14,400 having been invited to make appointments.
Mr. Todd:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list by county of residence the numbers of (a) claims received in respect of respiratory disease,
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(b) interim and expedited awards in respect of respiratory disease, (c) claims in respect of vibration white finger and (d) interim and general damage awards in respect of vibration white finger. [98681]
Mrs. Liddell:
A county of residence breakdown is not available. However, the regional breakdown is as follows:
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| Region | Respiratory claims received | Amount paid in respect of interim/expedited offers (£) | VWF claims received | Amount paid in respect of interim and general damage offers (£) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anglia | 301 | 111,511.45 | 128 | 127,545.81 |
| Midlands | 16,641 | 9,234,386.60 | 10,538 | 7,655,014.00 |
| North East | 33,195 | 15,119,472.88 | 26,745 | 27,833,543.41 |
| North West | 5,629 | 1,801,594.42 | 2,374 | 1,317,027.87 |
| Northern Ireland | 8 | 2,000 | 4 | 0.00 |
| Scotland | 7,687 | 2,909,873.85 | 3,714 | 4,172,361.99 |
| South Central | 134 | 51,727.15 | 37 | 20,876.74 |
| South East | 1,368 | 354,182.59 | 472 | 94,816.39 |
| South West | 599 | 70,308.35 | 50 | 17,578.21 |
| Wales | 23,414 | 9,300,331.58 | 7,998 | 5,639,601.83 |
| London | 277 | 48,000.00 | 87 | 12,610.88 |
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Mr. Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many claims have been made for respiratory disease where the claimant has since died. [98685]
Mrs. Liddell: As at 14 November IRISC, the Department's claim handlers, have registered 28,249 claims on behalf of the widows or dependants of former miners. However, IRISC have been notified by solicitors of the date of death in only 21,087 cases. 2,980 of these deaths occurred after the date of claim.
Utilities
Mr. Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans he has to ensure that price reductions on prepayment meters are passed on to the consumer. [98492]
Mrs. Liddell: This is a matter for the Director General of Gas and Electricity Markets, who has recently proposed new price controls for the Public Electricity Suppliers, to come into force in April 2000, and with average price cuts of 10 per cent. The Director General is currently considering the price control for British Gas Trading, and will announce that soon. Prepayment meter customers should benefit, as do other customers, from general reductions in prices. In addition, the Director General has proposed that the prepayment meter surcharge, which reflects the additional amount these customers pay, should not exceed £15 a year (at present it varies by company, and is up to £27 a year). Second-tier electricity suppliers and competitors to British Gas Trading are not subject to price control, because they operate in a competitive market, in which the price-controlled incumbents set the benchmark price; and consumers are free to seek a new supplier if they wish.
Mr. Dobbin:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans he has to introduce legislation to give utility regulators a duty to protect the interests of low-income consumers. [98491]
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Mrs. Liddell:
The Government are determined that disadvantaged consumers in the utility sectors should be properly protected, and that they should enjoy a fair share of the reduction in prices resulting from increased competition.
We shall introduce a Utilities Bill in this session, and a requirement to consider the interests of people on low incomes will be an important feature of the regulators' new primary duty to protect the interests of consumers, wherever possible and appropriate, through promoting effective competition.
We also intend, as part of the Bill, to give regulators a duty to have regard to statutory guidance issued by Ministers on social objectives relevant to their particular sector.
Mr. Healey:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how long the current allocation to the partnership fund under the Employment Relations Act 1999 is projected to last. [98467]
Mr. Alan Johnson:
Up to £5 million is to be made available in a series of calls, over a period of four years. The fund will support projects which either develop partnerships in the workplace or disseminate the benefits of workplace partnership more widely.
Mr. White:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he expects the second commencement order under the Employment Relations Act 1999 to be made; and if the order will include section 18(1-5). [98626]
Mr. Alan Johnson:
The second commencement order (S.I. 1999/2830) under the Employment Relations Act 1999 was made on 14 October. It included sections 18(1)-(5). For further details of the provisions covered by both the first and second commencement orders, I refer my hon. Friend to the answer which I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Bradford, North (Mr. Rooney) on 21 October 1999, Official Report, column 613W.
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Mr. Healey:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when the closing date will be for the second round of bids for resources from the partnership fund established under the Employment Relations Act 1999. [98468]
Mr. Alan Johnson:
The timing of the second round has not yet been set but will be decided and announced in the light of the take-up of the first round, which closes on 26 November 1999.
Mr. Cummings:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what measures he is taking to promote the textile industry; and if he will make a statement. [99206]
Mr. Alan Johnson:
The Government work closely with the textiles industry on a number of key areas, including trade policy, education and training, exporting and industrial sponsorship.
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