It’s the pits for Government as miners’ compensation soars

The
Treasury says it will have to find another £4bn to compensate sick ex-miners
and their families.

After
the miners’ compensation verdicts in 1998, the Government predicted it would
have to pay out £2bn, the largest industrial damages award in British history.
Since then the amount claimed has risen to more than £6bn.

Of
the total claims of 307,759, only 52,213 have received a full and final
settlement, claims the Financial Times.

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So
far 173,824 former miners have claimed compensation for respiratory diseases
including emphysema, bronchitis and vibration white finger. Thousands of fresh
claims are made every month.

The
government £6.2bn estimate covers up to 2006.