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Banks
Lord James of Blackheath asked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the answer by Lord Truscott on 7 March (Official Report, col. 222), whether, to demonstrate the relative efficiency of lending organisations and the levels of stress resulting to borrowers, they will request credit lending institutions to reintroduce the practice of publishing monthly or quarterly reports of losses to liquidation ratios indicating the total value of written-off unrecoverable loans as a percentage of the total loan periods they should have received in the relevant period. [HL2559]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Trade and Industry (Lord Truscott): We have no plans to do this. However, figures for individual insolvencies are published quarterly. As I said on 7 March (Official Report, col. 222), the Government take over-indebtedness very seriously and have a range of measures to help vulnerable borrowers. In addition, my honourable friend the Economic Secretary to the Treasury announced on 14 March that there will be a new Financial Inclusion Fund for the next spending period to 2011. This will allow us to continue to support projects promoting access to affordable credit, providing debt advice and helping to protect vulnerable people against illegal moneylending.
British Coal Compensation
Lord Lofthouse of Pontefract asked Her Majesty’s Government:
Further to the Written Answer by Lord Truscott on 13 March (WA 104) on British Coal compensation, whether, in view of their concerns in respect of the Data Protection Act 1998, they will instruct the Department of Trade and Industry’s claims handlers, CAPITA, to relay an open letter with the text approved by the Government from Lord Lofthouse of Pontefract to retired miners and widows who have pursued claims in the British Coal respiratory disease litigation and British Coal vibration white finger litigation advising them of their rights of redress against their former solicitors. [HL2898]
29 Mar 2007 : Column WA297
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Trade and Industry (Lord Truscott): The department’s view is that it would be disproportionate to write to each miner and widow. We continue to work with the Legal Complaints Service (LCS) to bring the issue to claimants’ attention, and the forthcoming edition of the Compensation for Miners newsletter will feature an article on the role of the LCS and its contact details. Some 45,000 copies of the newsletter are printed and distributed to doctors’ surgeries, citizens advice bureaux and MPs, and a copy is placed on the DTI website.
Lord Lofthouse of Pontefract asked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Written Answer by Lord Truscott on 15 January (WA 119) on British Coal compensation, whether any audit has been undertaken in respect of the sum of £28.8 million paid to the Union of Democratic Mineworkers. [HL2899]
Lord Truscott: Audits are regularly undertaken of the financial management and process procedures of payments to all claimants’ solicitors which includes the Union of Democratic Mineworkers.
This gives an assurance that payment has been correctly made. The most recent audit was undertaken in October 2006.
Lord Lofthouse of Pontefract asked Her Majesty’s Government:
Further to the Written Answer by Lord Truscott on 15 January (WA 119) on British Coal compensation, whether any assessment has been undertaken in respect of the payments of £591 million to 15 firms of solicitors in the British Coal respiratory disease litigation. [HL2900]
Lord Truscott: No such assessment has been undertaken. The National Audit Office is currently undertaking a review of the coal health schemes.
Lord Lofthouse of Pontefract asked Her Majesty’s Government:
How many retired miners and widows in the British Coal respiratory disease litigation and British Coal vibration white finger litigation died after lodgment of their claims prior to receiving final compensation. [HL2901]
Lord Truscott: As at 18 March 2007, the number of deceased claims where the miner’s date of death is later than the date of claim but earlier than the final damages payment is as follows:
chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) = 16,848;
vibration white finger (VWF) = 4,177.
There are 1,662 claims that appear in both the VWF and COPD list. It should be noted that those figures relate only to those claims where the miner himself died prior to receiving final compensation,
29 Mar 2007 : Column WA298
Lord Lofthouse of Pontefract asked Her Majesty’s Government:
Whether they have made an updated assessment of the total administration costs of the British Coal respiratory disease litigation and British Coal vibration white finger litigation by reference to the forecast of £2.4 billion in 31 July 2006 relied upon by the National Audit Office in its publication, Work in Progress: Coal Health Compensation Schemes. [HL2902]
Lord Truscott: Our latest forecast, as at the end of October 2006, still envisages a total administrative expenditure of circa £2.4 billion. This figure includes plaintiff costs and costs borne by the defendant (Department of Trade and Industry).
The department is currently undertaking a forecasting exercise for close of accounts and will be able to offer a revised figure by the end of April 2007.
Lord Lofthouse of Pontefract asked Her Majesty's Government:
How many claimants were refused or awarded compensation under the British Coal respiratory litigation, broken down between payments made in the following bands: (a) no award of compensation; (b) 1p to 99p; (c) £1 to £2; (d) £3 to £4; (e) £5 to £6; (f) £7 to £10; (g) £11 to £15; (h) £16 to £20; (i) £21 to £25; (j) £26 to £30; (k) £31 to £40; (l) £41 to £50; (m) £51 to £60; (n) £61 to £75; (o) £76 to £100; (p) £101 to £200; (q) £201 to £300; (r) £301 to £500; (s) £501 to £1,000; (t) £1,001 to £2,000; (u) £2,001 to £3,000; (v) £3,001 to £4,000; (w) £4,001 to £5,000; (x) £5,001 to £10,000; (y) £10,001 to £25,000; and (z) in excess of £25,001. [HL2948]
Lord Truscott: The number of claims that were settled by denial/withdrawal or awarded compensation under the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) scheme, broken down as requested, are shown on the table below:
| Analysis of Settled claims | |
| Total damages paid on claim (£) | COPD |
Claimants' solicitors agreed to implement a minimum payment top-up scheme to claimants. Under this scheme, solicitors will themselves effectively be making the payments by discounting their fees to make top-up payments to their clients whose offers fall below £500.
Lord Lofthouse of Pontefract asked Her Majesty's Government:
How many claimants were refused or awarded compensation under the British Coal vibration white finger litigation, broken down between payments made in the following bands: (a) no award of compensation; (b) 1p to 99p; (c) £1 to £2; (d) £3 to £4; (e) £5 to £6; (f) £7 to £10; (g) £11 to £15; (h) £16 to £20; (i) £21 to £25; (j) £26 to £30; (k) £31 to £40; (l) £41 to £50; (m) £51 to £60; (n) £61 to £75; (o) £76 to £100; (p) £101 to £200; (q) £201 to £300; (r) £301 to £500; (s) £501 to £1,000; (t) £1,001 to £2,000; (u) £2,001 to £3,000; (v) £3,001 to £4,000; (w) £4,001 to £5,000; (x) £5,001 to £10,000; (y) £10,001 to £25,000; and (z) in excess of £25,001. [HL2949]
Lord Truscott: The number of claims that were settled by denial/withdrawal or awarded compensation under the vibration white finger (VWF) scheme, broken down as requested, are shown on the table below:
| Analysis of Settled claims | |
| Total damages paid on claim (£) | VWF |
Lord Lofthouse of Pontefract asked Her Majesty’s Government:
Further to the Written Answer by Lord Sainsbury of Turville on 27 March (WA 93) on British Coal compensation, whether they have made a further assessment of the projected date by which all claims under the British Coal vibration white finger litigation will have been settled; and what is the updated estimated cost that will be incurred, broken down between (a) CAPITA and all other contractors; (b) the claimant’s legal costs; (c) the defendant’s legal costs; (d) the internal costs of the Department of Trade and Industry; and (e) compensation which remains to be paid to the claimants. [HL2951]
Lord Truscott: Our estimated date for substantial completion of the VWF scheme is the end of 2007. We envisage that the total number of claims settled (by payment, denial or strike-out) will be circa 170,000.
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