GRIFFITHS KEEPS UP PRESSURE ON SOLICITORS TO REPAY MINERS

22 Apr 2004 03:45 PM

Nigel Griffiths, Minister for Coal Health Claims, has today published a list of 100 solicitors who were removed from the DTI's approved list because they did not respond to his letters about refunding overpayments to miners.

The list, which is attached, has been published in response to a Parliamentary Question from Graham Allen MP. The list also includes three solicitors who responded, but asked to be taken off the list.

Mr Griffiths wrote to solicitors in December 2003 and February 2004 asking them to inform him whether or not they charged miners a fee for handling successful cases and, if so, to refund these overpayments.

He said:

"Solicitors who have double charged should be proactively paying back the money to miners and their families."

The text of the PQ and answer is as follows:

Question from Graham Allen MP:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will list law companies who have not responded to the request to repay amounts overcharged to miners and their widows in respect of processing miner's compensation claims; and if she will make a statement. 166422

Answer from Nigel Griffiths:
Following is a list of solicitors who have either stated they do not intend to repay claimants, or did not respond to my letter about refunding overpayments or who have requested that they be removed from the DTI list of approved solicitors.

As you will be aware, my letters of December 2003 and February 2004 to all firms of solicitors handling these claims asked that those who had unfairly taken a proportion of miners' compensation to repay the money. I wrote to the Law Society asking them to take action to ensure that their members voluntarily refund any fees taken, rather than wait for miners to contact them. I also passed the names of all firms who did not reply, to the Law Society asking them to take urgent action to ensure that the firms comply with my request.

After looking into the issue, the Law Society has concluded that such double charging is unlikely to be justified, and is 'likely to give rise to a finding of inadequate professional service'.

Notes to Editors:

1. In 1997 and 1998 British Coal was found negligent in relation to vibration white finger and respiratory diseases respectively. The liabilities were subsequently transferred to the DTI under the terms of the Coal Industry Act 1994. The judges ordered DTI to work with solicitors representing miners to formulate schemes to handle the payment of compensation. The detailed schemes were set out in handling agreements signed in January 1999 and September 1999 respectively. These included a fee to solicitors for handling successful claims to avoid claimants having to pay to make a claim.

2. More than 780,000 applications have been received under both the respiratory disease and vibration white finger schemes. The DTI is paying out around 2 million every working day in compensation, with payments having just reached 2 billion. It is estimated that more than 7 billion will be paid out by the Government to settle all claims.

3. Detailed regional statistics and further information are available at www.dti.gov.uk/coalhealth.

LIST OF ALL SOLICITORS WRITTEN TO BY NIGEL GRIFFITHS WHO HAVE BEEN REMOVED FROM THE WEBSITE BECAUSE THEY EITHER FAILED TO RESPOND OR ASKED TO BE REMOVED
(* denotes those who asked to be removed)

Alan Curtis Solicitors 13 Agincourt Street Monmouth Monmouthshire Allan McDougall & Co Solicitors 3 Coates Crescent Edinburgh Andrew P Walker & Co Solicitors 6/8 Tickhill Road Maltby Rotherham Ashington Denton with Bingley Dyson & Furey Sheffield 1
Barber Cartain Solicitors 119 Bury Old Road Whitefield Manchester Birchall Blackburn Crystal House Birley Street Preston
Bleasdale & Co PO Box 30 14 Scotch Street Whitehaven
Brearleys Solicitors 1 Brunswick Street Batley West Yorkshire Brown & Lloyd Solicitors The Albany 37-39 Willow street Owestry Bury & Walkers Solicitors Brittanic House Regent Street Barnsley Carter Hodge Solicitors 18 Hoghton Street Southport Merseyside Castle Sanderson Solicitors 2 Queen Street Leeds
*Clark & Ross W.S 2 Kirk Street Kincardine By Alloa
Clive Ashman Solicitors 3 Heol Yr Onnen Llanharry Pontyclun Coleman Solicitors Elizabeth House 16 St Peters Square Manchester Coley & Tilley Neville House Waterloo Street Birmingham Cunningham Turner Winston Hall 20 East Park Road Blackburn D W Shaw Solicitors Royal Bank Buildings Glaisnock Street Cumnock DA Milligan & Co Solicitors 104 Quarry Street Hamilton
Dave Johnson Percy House Percy Street Newcastle Upon Tyne David Handy Solicitors 8 Mary Street Sunderland Tyne & Wear DMH 100 Queens Road Brighton East Sussex
Easthams Solicitors 3rd Floor Centre Tower Whitgift Centre Wellesley Road
Edgar Cule & Evans Solicitors 213 Ystrad Road Pentre Rhondda Edwards Abrams Doherty Solicitors Omega Court 354 Cemetery Road Sheffield
Elsbury-Priddin Solicitors Scruton House Newbottle Street Houghton-le-Spring
Emsleys 267 Roundhay Road Harehills Leeds
Emsleys Solicitors 24 Bank Street Castleford
Endlars Solicitors 86A Bury Old Road Cheetham Village Manchester Evans & Greaves 5 Piccadilly Square Caerphilly
Everatt & Co 104 High Street Evesham Worcestershire
Freed Kemp Rapport 19 Gelliwastad Road Pontypridd Mid Glamorgan Freeman Johnson 31 Old Elvet Durham
G M Wilson Solicitors 1 Crown Court Wakefield
Gabb & Co 32 Monk Street Abergavenny Gwent
Gabb & Co Old Bank House Beaufort Street Crickhowell
Gartside Harding & Davies Brands House 2 Corn Street Newport Grainger Appleyard & Fleming 26/27 Hallgate Doncaster
Granville-West Chivers & Morgan Central Chambers 50/51 Tredegar Street Risca
Granville-West Chivers & Morgan 49 Church Street Abertillery Gwent Grunhut Makepeace & Duffy Law Court Chambers Coronation Street South Shields
Hamilton Joseph & Co Solicitors Post Office Lane Merthyr Tydfil Mid Glamorgan
Hardesty Elleanor Solicitors 23 Victoria Avenue Bishop Auckland Co Durham
Harris & Cartwright Solicitors Windsor Crown House 7 Windsor Road Slough
Harrison Bundey & Co 219-221 Chapeltown Road Leeds
Harvey Ingram Solicitors 20 New Walk Leicester
Hattersleys Solicitors 1 Hope Street Mexborough South Yorkshire Heyman & Co 44 Church Street Leigh Lancs
Hickmotts Solicitors Mansfield House 34 Mansfield Road Rotherham Holmes & Moffitt Solicitors 289 Shankhill Road Belfast
Howard & Co Solicitors Harewood House 2 - 4 Victoria Road Barnsley Inghams 4 - 8 Leopold Street Blackpool Lancashire
Ingrams Solicitors 8 Marina Court Castle Street Hull
Ingrams Solicitors 106 Micklegate York
*J H Powell & Co Solicitors Cathedral Chambers Amen Alley Derby J N Bell B.A. Solicitor Pen Y Glyn Talsarnau Harlech
J P Hall Solicitors 56 High Street Spenny Moor County Durham J Peter Davies & Partners 15 St Andrews Crescent Cardiff Jack Thornley & Partners Solicitors 64-66 John William Street Huddersfield
James Pearce & Co. 606 Bromford Lane Ward End Birmingham Jamiesons 3rd Floor, 25 Yoden Way Town Centre Peterlee John D Williams Solicitors Unit 2 The Galleries Washington John E Millar & Co C/O Foy & Co 63 Hollgate Doncaster
John Hogg & Co 3 Dunraven Street Tonypandy Rhondda
John Howell & Co Solicitors 42 Spital Hill Sheffield
John O`Neill Solicitors 8 Portland Terrace Jesmond Newcastle Upon Tyne
Jones-Keppe 57 Beaufort Street Brynmawr Gwent
Kate Patterson & Co Solicitors 57 Laughton Road Dinnington Sheffield Lester Morrill Solicitors 59 St Pauls Street Leeds
Lofthouse & Co Solicitors 16 Wesley Street Castleford
Lopian Wagner Solicitors 9 St John Street Manchester
Lucas & Co 600 Leabridge Road Leyton London
Maclaren Britain Grosvener Chambers 23 King Street Nottingham Maidments Solicitors 27 Cross Street Sale Cheshire
Maidments Solicitors 5 Great Moor Street Bolton
Matthew O Byrne Law Office 19 Raumati Road Raumati PO BOX 2079 Miller Samuel & Company Solicitors RWF House 5 Renfield Street Glasgow
*Moseley Chapman & Skemp 18 Bore Street Lichfield Staffordshire Murray, Hamilton & Chalmers 66 Hamilton Road Belshill
Nimmo Thomson & McLean Solicitors 1 Young Street Wishaw
Park Hutchison Solicitors & Notaries Suite 503/6 Baltic Chambers 50 Wellington Street
Payne Marsh & Stillwell 17 Southgate Street Winchester
Plancey & Co 4 Overdale Gardens Battlefield Glasgow
Pollard Coutts & Co 4 King Street Wakefield
Ralph & Co Solicitors 20 Cliff Road ewquay Cornwall
Richards & Lewis Solicitors 19 Market Street Ebbw Vale Gwent Roger James, Clements & Partners 72 Bridge Street Newport South Wales Scanlan Westgarth Solicitors 12 John Street Sunderland
Schofields 2nd Floor Imperial Chambers 32 Manchester Road Sentley Wilson Bowen Solicitors Consort House Waterdale Doncaster Silverbeck Rymer Solicitors Heywoods Building 5 Brunswick Street Liverpool
Silverman Livermore Solicitors 11 - 13 Victoria Street Liverpool Spicketts Gelliwastad House 3/4 Gelliswastad Road Pontypridd Stephensons Solicitors 77 High Street Golborne Warrington Stripes Solicitors Grange House John Dalton Street Manchester Thomas & Co Solicitors Norwich House 1 - 2 Gold Tops Newport Thomas Eggar Church Adams Arundel House 1 Liverpool Gardens Worthing Tilly Bailey & Irvine Solicitors York Chambers York Road Hartlepool Twigg Farnell 1 High Street Maltby Rotherham
Twigg Farnell Solicitors 12 Lidegg Lane Dinnington Sheffield Ware & Kay Sentinel House Peasholme Green York
Wilson & Jarvis 27 Mar Street Alloa
Yaffe Jackson Ostrin 1 Temple Court Victoria Street Liverpool