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Compensation Claims

Mr. Ennis: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is the average payment made per client to date to each firm of solicitors in Yorkshire involved in the compensation claims for (a) chest disease and (b) vibration white finger. [119406]

19 Apr 2000 : Column: 543W

Mrs. Liddell: The information is given in the table.

Solicitor	Number of claims settled	Total fees (£)	Average fee payment made per claim (£)
(a) Chest Disease:
Ashton Morton Slack	10	8,656.25	865.63
Attey Dibb and Clegg	6	6,345.00	1,057.50
Beresfords	5	5,287.50	1,057.50
Burton Green Williamson	1	1,057.50	1,057.50
Elliott Mather	2	2,115.00	1,057.50
Frank Allen Pennington	1	1,377.50	1,377.50
Graysons	291	307,516.38	1,056.76
Hickmotts	5	5,287.50	1,057.50
Hopkins	41	46,038.50	1,122.89
Irwin Mitchell	63	66,622.50	1,057.50
John E. Millar and Company	2	2,115.00	1,057.50
Keeble Hawson Moorhouse	32	33,840.00	1,057.50
Malcolm C. Foy	1	1,057.50	1,057.50
Nelson and Co.	5	5,561.96	1,112.39
Oxley and Coward	4	4,300.35	1,075.09
Raleys	227	240,068.50	1,057.57
Saffmans	8	9,584.02	1,198.00
Simpson Millar	2	2,115.00	1,057.50
The Beaumont Partnership	1	1,057.50	1,057.50
Thompsons	47	47,675.70	1,014.38
Towells	85	88,470.29	1,040.83
W. Brook and Co.	1	1,057.50	1,057.50
(b) Vibration White Finger:
Alfred Sevier and Sons	1	952.75	952.75
Arthur Jackson and Co.	3	5,011.39	1,670.46
Ashton Morton Slack	168	106,729.74	635.30
Atherton and Godfrey(7)	2	7,796.63	3,898.33
Attey Dibb and Clegg(7)	188	228,938.08	1,217.76
Bell Wright and Dallman	1	929.00	929.00
Beresfords	10	15,803.07	1,580.31
Burton Green Williamson	1	1,193.75	1,193.75
Elliott Mather	1	1,946.00	1,946.00
Frank Allen Pennington	91	80,837.72	888.33
Graysons	120	115,305.16	960.88
Hickmotts(7)	22	26,075.83	1,185.27
Hopkins(7)	20	43,157.54	2,157.88
Ian Smith and Co.	1	806.23	806.23
Irwin Mitchell(7)	104	113,473.04	1,091.09
Jack Thornley and Partners(7)	1	917.50	917.50
John E. Millar and Company(7)	1	5,130.35	5,130.35
Kate Patterson(7)	1	5,916.07	5,916.07
Keeble Hawson Moorhouse(7)	111	99,114.52	892.92
Kenyon Son and Craddock	1	705.00	705.00
Mills Kemp and Brown	2	4,400.12	2,200.06
Moorish and Co.	9	11,104.87	1,233.87
Newman and Bond	1	976.80	976.80
Noonan and Co.	1	1,202.50	1,202.50
Oxley and Coward	237	228,158.17	962.69
Parker Rhodes	15	13,154.53	876.97
Peace and Co.	2	2,459.09	1,229.55
Raleys(7)	571	548,047.99	959.80
Rowley Ashworth	2	2,215.00	1,107.50
Saffmans(7)	105	116,782.61	1,112.22
Taylor Bracewell	1	831.47	831.47
Towells	116	103,088.13	888.69
Wake Smith	4	2,853.91	713.48
Whittles(7)	4	2,191.59	2,191.59

(7) Include fees paid in relation to individually negotiated litigated claims which were settled outside the Handling Arrangement agreed between the Department and Claimants' solicitors.

Note:

All fees include Interest and Solicitors' Disbursements

Mobile Phone Networks

Mr. Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans he has to delay the final rounds of bidding for the new mobile phone networks until after the Stewart report is published. [119688]

19 Apr 2000 : Column: 544W

Ms Hewitt: Bidders in the auction of Wireless Telegraphy Act Licences for Third Generation mobile telecommunications spectrum have been kept informed of the progress of the work of the Independent Expert Group on Mobile Phones. The Government understand that the Group expects to deliver its report to the Government some time after Easter. It is planned to publish the report soon after receipt by the Government although definite dates have yet to be decided. If the auction is still in progress it is not proposed to hold any rounds between the receipt of the report by Government and its publication unless all remaining Bidders agree otherwise.

Mr. Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he has chosen to re-tender the new round of bidding for the mobile phone network. [119687]

Ms Hewitt: The Government have no plans to re- auction Wireless Telegraphy Act Licences for 3G mobile telecommunications spectrum.

Research Intensity (Imported Goods)

Mr. Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what percentage of the United Kingdom market for (a) high research-intensity goods, (b) medium research-intensity goods and (c) low research-intensity goods was represented by imports in the last 12 months. [119593]

Mr. Alan Johnson: In 1996 (the most recent year for which data are available) imports equalled 74 per cent. of UK domestic sales of high technology goods. As well as finished goods, these imports include components and sub-assemblies, a significant proportion of which are incorporated in UK exports (UK exports of high technology goods were £38 billion in 1996, while imports were £36 billion).

In the medium-high technology sector imports equalled 51 per cent. of UK domestic sales while medium-low technology and low-technology imports both equalled 25 per cent. of domestic sales.

Synchrotron

Mr. Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry for what reasons the Government preferred Didcot to Daresbury for the synchrotron. [119315]

Mr. Byers [holding answer 17 April 2000]: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Pendle (Mr. Prentice) on 21 March 2000, Official Report, column 480W.

Mr. Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when his Department's Ministers decided that Didcot was the best site for the synchrotron. [119313]

Mr. Byers [holding answer 17 April 2000]: After considering all the relevant factors.

Mr. Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when his Department first wrote to Wellcome suggesting Didcot for the synchrotron. [119316]

Mr. Byers [holding answer 17 April 2000]: I refer the right hon. Member to the evidence given to the Science and Technology Select Committee by the Director General of the Research Councils on 8 December 1999 and by the Director of the Wellcome Trust on 15 December 1999.

19 Apr 2000 : Column: 545W

Mr. Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will publish the correspondence between his Department and Wellcome over the location of the new synchrotron. [119314]

Mr. Byers [holding answer 17 April 2000]: The correspondence between my Department and the Wellcome Trust contains information given in confidence and as such is exempt from disclosure under the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

Industrial Diseases

Mr. Alasdair Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many ex-miners from (a) Scotland and (b) the UK claiming compensation for chronic bronchitis and emphysema have died before their claims were fully processed. [119558]

Mrs. Liddell: As at 10 April IRISC, the Department's claims handler, had been informed of 4,203 claims where the date of death recorded occurred since the date of claim. Of these 341 are in Scotland.

In all these cases the claims will be continued by the claimant's widow or dependants. In addition, where the claimant's death certificate shows that one of the respiratory diseases for which British Coal were found liable either caused or materially contributed to the death, the Department will also make a bereavement award to the claimant's widow.

Mr. Alasdair Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many of the claims received from ex-miners in (a) Scotland and (b) the UK for compensation for chronic bronchitis and emphysema have been fully processed. [119559]

Mrs. Liddell: As at 9 April, the Department had made a total of 1,949 full and final payments totalling some £5.4 million, of which 345 totalling £900,000 have been to Scottish ex-miners. In addition, the Department has made a further 18,000 interim and bereavement award payments totalling £50.6 million, of which 1,308 totalling £3.1 million have been to Scottish ex-miners and their families.

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