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Miners' compensation scheme management attacked by MPs

04/03/2008

The government "seriously mismanaged" its compensation scheme for former coal miners, MPs say.

The public accounts committee says the scheme for those suffering poor health cost more than £1 for every £2 paid out in compensation.

In total £4.1 billion will be paid out by the close of the scheme. There are nearly 130,000 claims still outstanding but many claimants are elderly, ill or have died.

MPs attack the government's failure to implement the scheme quickly and its underestimation of how many claims there would be.

A spokesperson for the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR), successor to the Department for Trade and Industry which managed the scheme, said the government would seek "further improvements" to existing systems.

"Improvements have been made, particularly from the early stages of the scheme including the fast-track system to ensure miners and their families get their compensation paid quicker," he emphasised.