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July 2005

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25 July 2005

Tony Wright welcomes inquiry into coal health claims scheme

Tony Wright MP has welcomed the Government’s decision to hold an inquiry into how the coal health claims compensation scheme for Chronic Bronchitis, Emphysema and Vibration White Finger has been administered. This inquiry has been set up following allegations about how the scheme has been run in Nottinghamshire, involving the UDM (Union of Democratic Mineworkers), and a disquiet about the way in which some solicitors and claims handlers have been milking the scheme.

Tony Wright said:

“I have been asking for an inquiry and am glad there is now to be one.

Along with local ex-miners, in the Cannock Chase Retired Miners & Officials Pensions & Health Claims Association, I have been raising issues about aspects of the scheme, and we also raised these when I took a delegation to see the Minister earlier this year.

This is a huge compensation scheme, which is getting payments to thousands of former miners and their widows and estates, but it is also clear that it has provided rich pickings for lawyers and others.

We need the whole way in which the scheme has been operated looking into, so that we ensure that all the money goes to where it was intended.”

27 July 2005

Today Tony Wright MP met with Senior Managers of electricity suppliers, Central Networks, to discuss power supply problems across the Cannock area over recent months and to get an update on improvement action.

Customer Operations Manager Phil Wilson, Network Performance Manager Colin Randle and Design Manager Andrew Roper gave a detailed briefing on improvement work in the area to the MP, Les Trigg of Cannock Chase Council and Rob Jones of Cannock Chase Chamber of Commerce.

Today’s meeting followed a public meeting in June of last year where Central Networks explained to local residents and businesses the reasons behalf the too-frequent power failures in the area and their plans to improve the supply networks.

Tony Wright said:

“It was good to hear of the progress being made by Central Networks and to have their assurances that they are putting a lot of effort and investment into ensuring a better continuity of supply.

The number and duration of power failures have certainly declined over recent months, but further work particularly in the Rawnsley and Cannock Wood area is planned and is to be welcomed.

This will include upgrades to cabling and the fitting circuit breakers so that in the event of problems arising – and they can never be totally prevented - smaller areas can be isolated to limit the effects of power breakdowns.”

The numbers of customers affected by power failures has reduced from a well-above average 57,000 in 2004 to 8,400 in 2005 so far. Minutes of supply lost amounted to 3.8 million last year but is down 1 million this year. If this trend continues to the end of the year, there will have been a halving of power failures, with further improvements to come.

Proposed works include a £2.2 million upgrade of the Cannock sub-station to increase its capacity and £¼ million of work on underground cabling in the Rawnsley area, with further overhead supply lines also being taken underground.

The MP added:

“It has concerned me greatly that the Cannock area has been having far more than its share of power failures. Hopefully, we can all look forward to a better continuity of supply for the autumn and winter months later this year.”