Barbara has welcomed new figures released by the Department of Energy and Climate Change that show the Government is making good progress in delivering compensation for former coal workers who live in Worsley constituency.

Progress on settling claims for Worsley constituents who suffer Vibration White Finger and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease has remained on track over the last 6 months and overall totals are now:

• 198 full and final claims have been settled for those affected by Vibration White Finger, with over £2 million paid out.
• 2791 claims have been settled for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease to a total of £11.4 million.

Of the 170,000 Vibration White Finger claims received by the Government nationally, 169,000 have already been settled. Of the 592,000 Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease claims received by the Government, 581,000 have already been settled.

Barbara said:

“It’s important that local people whose health has been impaired because of their work in coal mines receive the compensation they are entitled to, including the families of those miners who have died.

“These medical conditions have made life harder for a number of local people who used to work in the mines. I am pleased the Government is on track with processing their compensation claims, with very few outstanding claims still active or awaiting settlement.”