COAL HEALTH COMPENSATION COMPLAINTS

Early day motion 716, tabled 16 January 2008 by David Hamilton (Labour). Signed by 55 members.

That this House welcomes the report of the Legal Services Complaints Commissioner into the handling of the Coal Health Compensation Complaints by the Law Society's Legal Complaints Service and the Solicitors Regulation Authority into unfair deductions that some solicitors stole from miners' compensation; notes that the report states that miners who were let down by their solicitor are continuing to be let down by the way the Legal Complaints Service handles their complaints and that it is misleading miners into believing that what is being offered through conciliation is the best they can expect when those who have persisted through to adjudication have received an average £1,700 extra in compensation; therefore calls on the Legal Complaints Service and Solicitors Regulation Authority to address all the issues raised by this report; and urges the Government to monitor the situation and take any necessary action and hopes that these miners will receive full compensation and justice.

Signatures by party: Labour 40, Liberal Democrat 7, Independent 2, Plaid Cymru 2, Social Democratic and Labour Party 2, Conservative 1, DUP 1.