ROGER WILLIAMS CALLS ON SECRETARY OF STATE FOR WALES TO HELP RESOLVE THE LAST CLAIMS FOR MINERS COMPENSATION

3.38.00pm GMT Thu 27th Mar 2008

Before the Welsh Grand Committee started debating the Budget, there was an opportunity to question the Secretary of State for Wales. Roger Williams, MP for Brecon and Radnorshire and Liberal Democrat Secretary of State for Wales, took up the issue of miners' compensation. Most of these claims have been sorted but three classes of claim are still outstanding.

Speaking after the Committee, Roger Williams said:

"One of the main issues revolves around miners who spent part of their career in small mines that had private owners and had not been nationalised. Apportioning liability between the National Coal Board and the Small Mine Owners has been difficult but every effort should now be made to bring these cases to a conclusion.

"Many of the claimants have died or are in very poor health so they and their families need to be compensated.

"The second case is the problem of coal workers who work in surface operations, which were often very dusty but are not included in the scheme itself.

"The third type of claim is for those miners who left the industry early because of ill health and resolving the liability between the employers and benefits they already receive.

"I shall be writing to Paul Murphy MP, Secretary of State for Wales to have discussions on how these remaining but often tragic cases can be carried forward to a successful conclusion."