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.
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.
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