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Business of the House

I am grateful to my hon. Friend for raising that important issue, which affects many constituencies across the country—I represent a former coal-mining area. There have been some 580,000 claimants on the lung disease scheme and 170,000 claimants for vibration white finger. Total costs by 2011 are estimated to be approximately £7 billion, with £4.5 billion paid in compensation. We will study the report carefully, because we have learned lessons in the course of running such huge compensation schemes, and if similar arrangements are required in future, we would obviously seek to implement those lessons.