|
Miners'
Claims
Background
data.
Uploaded
02 July 2005
Updated
08 May 2007
Navigate
to the News section for the latest news
about solicitors.
New page
added: Miners' Claims News - a
consolidation of selected news reporting to date.
Lords'
Hansard text - 15
Jan 2007 offers updated information to that featuring below
|
Information Sources
|
| Source |
Description |
| Companies
House |
Company data. Limited information
such as the example Vendside data, below, is available free.
Directors' and accounts information is chargeable. |
| Coal
Health Claims |
House of Commons Hansard extract, as
shown in the table below under the heading: Coal Health
Claims. |
| Theyworkforyou |
The link on the left is to a relevant
page on TheyWorkForYou, a very important new opportunity to
participate online in the democratic process. (Use it, or lose
it. UJ) They
Work For You is a non-partisan, volunteer-run website which
aims to make it easy for people to keep tabs on their elected
representatives. |
| The Times - TimesOnline |
The Times has the bit between its
teeth on this matter. The site is searchable and some
brief extracts of its reporting are available in the News
sections of this site, UnjustIS. |
| |
|
Name &
Registered Office:
VENDSIDE LIMITED
MINERS OFFICES
BERRY HILL LANE
MANSFIELD
NOTTINGHAMSHIRE NG18 4JU
Company No. 03367773
|
|
|
| |
|
Status: Active
Date of Incorporation:
09/05/1997
Country of Origin: United
Kingdom
|
Company Type: Private Limited
Company
Nature of Business (SIC(92)):
7487 - Other business activities
|
Accounting Reference Date:
31/12
Last Accounts Made Up To: 31/12/2003
(MEDIUM)
Next Accounts Due: 31/10/2005
Last Return Made Up To: 09/05/2005
Next Return Due: 06/06/2006
|
Last Members List: 09/05/2005
|
| Previous
Names: |
| No previous
name information has been recorded over
the last 20 years. |
|
| Branch Details |
| There are no branches
associated with this company. |
|
| Oversea Company
Info |
| There are no
Oversea Details associated with this
company. |
|
|
|
Coal
Health Claims
John Mann:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry which Minister
signed the coal health agreements in 1999 with (a) Vendside and (b)
the Union of Democratic Mineworkers. [2405]
Malcolm Wicks
[holding answer 8 June 2005]: The then Minister for Energy and
Industry, the right hon. Member for Leeds, West approved the signing, by
coal health claims officials, of the Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary
Disease and Vibration White Finger handling agreements.
John Mann:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many meetings
have taken place between his Department and Clare Walker of Vendside
since 1998. [2518]
Malcolm Wicks
[holding answer 8 June 2005]: Officials from the Department's
Coal Liabilities Unit meet with the UDM to discuss operational issues on
approximately a monthly basis. Other ad hoc meetings have taken place
when necessary.
John Mann:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what investigations
have been instigated by his Department into (a) Walker and Co
(Claims Management) Ltd. and (b) Indiclaim Ltd. concerning
charging for coalminers compensation. [2520]
Malcolm Wicks
[holding answer 8 June 2005]: The Department has not instigated
any investigations into either Walker and Co (Claims Management) Ltd. or
Indiclaim Ltd.
John Mann:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry which 20 solicitors
received the highest number of deceased miners' claims in (a)
2001, (b) 2002, (c) 2003 and (d) 2004. [2665]
Malcolm Wicks:
The solicitors who received the most claims in relation to deceased
miners are as set out in the following tables:
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease2001
|
Number
|
Solicitors(19)
|
Claims registered
2
|
|
1
|
Mark Gilbert
Morse
|
4,269
|
|
2
|
Thompsons
|
1,314
|
|
3
|
Randell Lloyd
Jenkins and Martin
|
895
|
|
4
|
Hugh James Ford
Simey
|
822
|
|
5
|
Raleys Solicitors
|
564
|
|
6
|
Browell Smith and
Co
|
489
|
|
7
|
Moss Solicitors
|
170
|
|
8
|
Graysons
|
169
|
|
9
|
Beresfords
Solicitors
|
166
|
|
10
|
Watson Burton
|
155
|
|
11
|
Meloy Whittle
Robinson
|
123
|
|
12
|
The Legal
Warehouse
|
111
|
|
13
|
J M Skinner
Solicitors
|
108
|
|
14
|
Ingrams
Solicitors
|
87
|
|
15
|
Corries
|
84
|
|
16
|
Lopian Wagner
Solicitors
|
74
|
|
17
|
Towells
Solicitors
|
74
|
|
18
|
AMS Law
|
74
|
|
19
|
Colemans
Solicitors
|
70
|
|
20
|
Mortons
Solicitors
|
70
|
13 Jun 2005 : Column 71W
2002
|
Number
|
Solicitors(19)
|
Claims registered
2
|
|
1
|
Thompsons
|
1,626
|
|
2
|
Mark Gilbert
Morse
|
781
|
|
3
|
Randell Lloyd
Jenkins and Martin
|
557
|
|
4
|
Beresfords
Solicitors
|
556
|
|
5
|
Browell Smith and
Co
|
439
|
|
6
|
Raleys Solicitors
|
437
|
|
7
|
The Legal
Warehouse
|
234
|
|
8
|
Corries
|
194
|
|
9
|
Ingrams
Solicitors
|
172
|
|
10
|
Kidd and Spoor
Harper Solicitors
|
152
|
|
11
|
Moss Solicitors
|
134
|
|
12
|
Graysons
|
126
|
|
13
|
Hugh James Ford
Simey
|
120
|
|
14
|
Mortons
Solicitors
|
117
|
|
15
|
Avalon
|
84
|
|
16
|
Gorvin Smith Fort
|
72
|
|
17
|
Atteys
|
71
|
|
18
|
Morisons
Solicitors
|
62
|
|
19
|
Emsleys
Solicitors
|
60
|
|
20
|
Pannone and
Partners
|
55
|
2003
|
Number
|
Solicitors(19)
|
Claims registered
2
|
|
1
|
Hugh James Ford
Simey
|
13,999
|
|
2
|
Beresfords
Solicitors
|
10,160
|
|
3
|
Barber and Co
|
7,084
|
|
4
|
Mark Gilbert
Morse
|
5,233
|
|
5
|
Avalon
|
2,676
|
|
6
|
Thompsons
|
2,248
|
|
7
|
Watson Burton
|
2,109
|
|
8
|
Onyems and
Partners
|
1,547
|
|
9
|
Randell Lloyd
Jenkins and Martin
|
1,519
|
|
10
|
Raleys Solicitors
|
1,306
|
|
11
|
Corries
|
1,114
|
|
12
|
Birchall
Blackburn
|
1,077
|
|
13
|
Ingrams
Solicitors
|
1,000
|
|
14
|
Browell Smith and
Co
|
844
|
|
15
|
Proddow and
Mackay Solicitors
|
827
|
|
16
|
The Legal
Warehouse
|
820
|
|
17
|
Gorman Hamilton
Solicitors
|
696
|
|
18
|
Wake Smith
|
646
|
|
19
|
BRM Solicitors
|
594
|
|
20
|
Kidd and Spoor
Harper Solicitors
|
474
|
2004
|
Number
|
Solicitors(19)
|
Claims registered
2
|
|
1
|
Hugh James Ford
Simey
|
9,949
|
|
2
|
Avalon
|
8,744
|
|
3
|
Beresfords
Solicitors
|
6,940
|
|
4
|
Raleys Solicitors
|
5,777
|
|
5
|
Thompsons
|
5,406
|
|
6
|
Delta Legal
|
5,056
|
|
7
|
Browell Smith and
Co
|
4,682
|
|
8
|
Birchall
Blackburn
|
3,401
|
|
9
|
Corries
|
2,790
|
|
10
|
Mark Gilbert
Morse
|
2,659
|
|
11
|
Barber and Co
|
2,351
|
|
12
|
Hilary Meredith
Solicitors
|
1,927
|
|
13
|
1 Legal
Solicitors
|
1,850
|
|
14
|
Recompense Ltd
|
1,722
|
|
15
|
Randell Lloyd
Jenkins and Martin
|
1,572
|
|
16
|
Irwin Mitchell
|
1,551
|
|
17
|
Bailey Bravo
Jobling
|
1,532
|
|
18
|
Ingrams
Solicitors
|
1,308
|
|
19
|
Gorman Hamilton
Solicitors
|
1,188
|
|
20
|
The Legal
Warehouse
|
1,080
|
(19) Top twenty solicitors are in descending order and based
on the number of claims received in the year. Claim receipts are those
claims that are fully registered, i.e. exclude pool of claims accepted
with minimum data, awaiting further information to permit
cross-referencing and duplicate checks prior to full registration.
(20) Claims registered reflects the total number of deceased
claims registered, i.e. does not include claims that were registered
live but have died since.
13 Jun 2005 : Column 72W
Vibration white finger2001
|
Number
|
Solicitors(21)
|
Claims registered
2
|
|
1
|
Browell Smith and
Co
|
12
|
|
2
|
Union of
Democratic Mineworkers
|
8
|
|
3
|
Thompsons
|
4
|
|
4
|
The Paul Rooney
Partnership
|
3
|
|
5
|
Latham and Co
Solicitors
|
3
|
|
6
|
Graysons
|
1
|
|
7
|
McConville
O'Neill
|
1
|
|
8
|
Colemans
Solicitors
|
1
|
|
9
|
Raleys Solicitors
|
1
|
|
10
|
Randell Lloyd
Jenkins and Martin
|
1
|
|
11
|
Mark Gilbert
Morse
|
1
|
|
12
|
Keeble Hawson
Moorhouse
|
1
|
|
13
|
Frank Alien
Pennington Solicitors
|
1
|
|
14
|
Furley Page
|
1
|
2002
|
Number
|
Solicitors(21)
|
Claims registered
2
|
|
1
|
Beresfords
Solicitors
|
391
|
|
2
|
Hugh James Ford
Simey
|
349
|
|
3
|
Thompsons
|
342
|
|
4
|
Towells
Solicitors
|
239
|
|
5
|
Graysons
|
148
|
|
6
|
Union of
Democratic Mineworkers
|
147
|
|
7
|
Moss Solicitors
|
97
|
|
8
|
Raleys Solicitors
|
93
|
|
9
|
AMS Law
|
76
|
|
10
|
Randell Lloyd
Jenkins and Martin
|
75
|
|
11
|
The Legal
Warehouse
|
56
|
|
12
|
Browell Smith and
Co
|
46
|
|
13
|
Irwin Mitchell
|
42
|
|
14
|
O H Parsons
|
27
|
|
15
|
Motions
Solicitors
|
22
|
|
16
|
Ingrams
Solicitors
|
18
|
|
17
|
Pannone and
Partners
|
15
|
|
18
|
Meloy Whittle
Robinson
|
15
|
|
19
|
Atteys
|
15
|
|
20
|
Keeble Hawson
Moorhouse
|
12
|
2003
|
Number
|
Solicitors(21)
|
Claims registered
2
|
|
1
|
Thompsons
|
208
|
|
2
|
Union of
Democratic Mineworkers
|
113
|
|
3
|
Beresfords
Solicitors
|
105
|
|
4
|
Hugh James Ford
Simey
|
78
|
|
5
|
Watson Burton
|
77
|
|
6
|
Raleys Solicitors
|
67
|
|
7
|
Atteys
|
53
|
|
8
|
Kidd and Spoor
Harper Solicitors
|
53
|
|
9
|
Graysons
|
42
|
|
10
|
T S Edwards and
Son Solicitors
|
40
|
|
11
|
AMS Law
|
33
|
|
12
|
The Legal
Warehouse
|
31
|
|
13
|
Hopkins
|
30
|
|
14
|
Browell Smith and
Co
|
26
|
|
15
|
Corries
|
16
|
|
16
|
Towells
Solicitors
|
15
|
|
17
|
Pannone and
Partners
|
13
|
|
18
|
Furley Page
|
13
|
|
19
|
Randell Lloyd
Jenkins and Martin
|
11
|
|
20
|
Mortons
Solicitors
|
11
|
13 Jun 2005 : Column 73W
2004
|
Number
|
Solicitors(21)
|
Claims registered
2
|
|
1
|
AMS Law
|
5
|
|
2
|
Beresfords
Solicitors
|
1
|
|
3
|
Corries
|
1
|
|
4
|
Mortons
Solicitors
|
1
|
(21) Top twenty solicitors are in descending order and based
on the number of claims received in the year.
(22) Claims registered reflects the total number of deceased
claims registered, i.e. does not include claims that were registered
live but have died since.
John Mann:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many deceased
miners' claims were submitted by Vendside in (a) 2003 and (b)
2004. [2667]
Malcolm Wicks:
The number of claims submitted by Vendside is as follows:
|
Total deceased
claims registered
|
COPD
|
VWF
|
Total
|
|
2003
|
59
|
113
|
172
|
|
2004
|
46
|
0
|
46
|
|
Total
|
105
|
113
|
218
|
Notes:
1. Claims registered reflects the total of deceased claims registered,
i.e. does not include claims that were registered live but have died
since.
2. Claim receipts are those claims that are fully registered, i.e.
exclude pool of claims accepted with minimum data, awaiting further
information to permit cross-referencing and duplicate checks prior to
full registration.
John Mann:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many deceased
miners' claims were submitted by (a) Beresfords, (b) Wake
Smith, (c) AMS Law and (d) Moss solicitors in 2004. [2668]
Malcolm Wicks:
Deceased miners claims submitted in 2004 were as follows:
|
Solicitor
|
COPD 1
|
VWF 1
|
|
AMS Law
|
816
|
5
|
|
Beresfords
Solicitors
|
6,940
|
1
|
|
Moss Solicitors
|
125
|
0
|
|
Wake Smith
|
87
|
0
|
|
Total
|
7,968
|
6
|
(23) Claims registered reflects the total of deceased claims
registered, i.e. does not include claims that were registered live but
have died since.
John Mann:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what requests he
has made to Wake Smith solicitors to repay monies to his Department
following payments by Wake Smith solicitors to Indiclaim Ltd in
connection with the miners' industrial disease compensation scheme.
[2669]
Malcolm Wicks:
No such requests have been made.
13 Jun 2005 : Column 74W
John Mann:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many
solicitors' firms have claimed back money from his Department while
paying fees to (a) Walker and Co. Claims Management Ltd. and (b)
Indiclaim Ltd. in connection with the miners' industrial disease
compensation scheme. [2670]
Malcolm Wicks:
The Department's claims handlers are not informed which solicitors'
firms make payments to Walker and Co. Claims Management Ltd. and
Indiclaim Ltd.
John Mann:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many deceased
miners' claims were submitted from (a) Bassetlaw constituency, (b)
Mansfield constituency, (c) Nottinghamshire, (d) East
Midlands and (e) Yorkshire in (i) 2003 and (ii) 2004. [2671]
Malcolm Wicks:
The numbers requested are as follows:
|
|
2003
|
2004
|
|
Solicitor
|
COPD
|
VWF
|
COPD
|
VWF
|
|
Bassetlaw
constituency
|
629
|
28
|
635
|
1
|
|
Mansfield
constituency
|
586
|
35
|
645
|
0
|
|
Nottinghamshire,
|
|
|
Derbyshire and
Leicestershire
306
|
154
|
493
|
0
|
|
Yorkshire
|
17,011
|
340
|
21,625
|
6
|
|
Total
|
18,532
|
557
|
23,398
|
7
|
Notes:
1. Claims registered reflect the total of deceased claims registered,
i.e. does not include claims that were registered live but have died
since.
2. Statistics for Bassetlaw and Mansfield are based on claimant postcode
for the relative constituency. Statistics for Nottinghamshire,
Derbyshire and Leicestershire and Yorkshire are based on deceased claims
registered in that area by solicitor postcode.
John Mann:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many claims for
dispersement payments have been refused to Richmonds solicitors. [2672]
Malcolm Wicks:
The Department's claims handlers do not record this information.
John Mann:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when his Department
gave authority for the claims handling agreement with the Union of
Democratic Mineworkers to be run by Vendside Ltd. [2707]
Malcolm Wicks:
The Department has always understood that Vendside are the Union for
Democratic Mineworkers' claims handling agents and are therefore
entitled to handle claims on its behalf.
John Mann:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions
took place with the Treasury on the VAT implications of his Department's
agreement with Vendside Ltd. [2729]
Malcolm Wicks:
No such discussions have taken place.
John Mann:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether his
Department has referred the matters connected with the Union of
Democratic Mineworkers and Vendside Ltd. which it is investigating to
the National Audit Office. [2730]
13 Jun 2005 : Column 75W
Malcolm Wicks:
The Department has made no such referral.
John Mann:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what audit his
Department has (a) carried out and (b) commissioned into (i)
whether there has been abuse of deceased coalminers' claims for
industrial disease and (ii) what potential exists for such abuse. [2731]
Malcolm Wicks:
Procedures are in place to detect and prosecute fraudulent claims. In
schemes of this nature, there is always the possibility that an
individual will seek to obtain a payment to which he is not entitled.
John Mann:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry which 20 solicitors
have received the highest average payments per claim for work done in
connection with deceased miners' claims. [2732]
Malcolm Wicks:
The solicitors with the highest average fees for deceased miners' claims
are as follows:
|
Number
|
Solicitor
|
Deceased settlements(24)
|
Total solicitors
costs paid (£)
|
Average
solicitors costs paid (£)
|
|
1
|
Frank Alien
Pennington
Solicitors
|
1
|
1,720
|
1,720
|
|
2
|
Branton Bridge
|
1
|
1,397
|
1,397
|
|
3
|
Ben Hoare Bell
and Co
Solicitors
|
1
|
859
|
859
|
|
4
|
Banner Jones
Middleton
|
1
|
737
|
737
|
|
5
|
Thompson and Co
Solicitors
|
4
|
1,606
|
402
|
|
6
|
Raleys Solicitors
|
57
|
19,522
|
342
|
|
7
|
Mortons
Solicitors
|
8
|
2,302
|
288
|
|
8
|
Simpson Millar
Solicitors
|
3
|
766
|
255
|
|
9
|
Graysons
|
33
|
7,921
|
240
|
|
10
|
Latham and Co
Solicitors
|
5
|
1,175
|
235
|
|
11
|
Pannone and
Partners
|
18
|
4,100
|
228
|
|
12
|
Thompsons
|
148
|
20,990
|
42
|
|
13
|
Watson Burton
|
22
|
3,071
|
140
|
|
14
|
O H Parsons
|
24
|
2,629
|
110
|
|
15
|
Keeble Hawson
Moorhouse
|
10
|
999
|
100
|
|
16
|
Browell Smith and
Co
|
93
|
6,872
|
74
|
|
17
|
Hopkins
|
19
|
1,105
|
58
|
|
18
|
AMS Law
|
60
|
3,165
|
53
|
|
19
|
Atteys
|
37
|
1,941
|
52
|
|
20
|
Ingrams
Solicitors
|
15
|
588
|
39
|
(24) Deceased settlements reflect total settlements on claims
registered as deceased, i.e. does not include claims that were
registered live but have died since. Total settlements are reported,
encompassing claims settled by payment and denial/withdrawal.
Note:
No costs are payable to solicitors where the claim is settled by denial
or withdrawal.
John Mann:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many employees
of AON Irisc had previously worked for the National Coal Board on the
date of the signing of the DTI/Irisc contract for coal health claims.
[2733]
Malcolm Wicks:
At this time, Irisc employed approximately 120 staff of which about 78
had worked for the British Coal Corporation.
John Mann:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry for what reasons
his Department signed coal health agreements with both Vendside and the
Union of Democratic Mineworkers. [2735]
Malcolm Wicks:
Following the judgments against British Coal in both the Vibration White
Finger and respiratory disease litigations, the High Court ordered
13 Jun 2005 : Column 76W
the DTI to set up schemes, in agreement with miners' solicitors, to
assess compensation for both types of claim. Claims had by then been
registered through the Claimants Solicitors Group (the CSG), some of
which were sponsored by the main mining unions, the NUM and NACODS. The
UDM had also registered a large number of claims directly on behalf of
their members, through their dedicated claims handling company, Vendside
Limited. The CSG and the UDM were unable to work together or enter into
single arrangements for historical reasons. The legal advice received by
the Department was that it was appropriate to enter into separate claims
handling arrangements with the CSG and the UDM, provided that the
compensation delivered to the claimant under both schemes was the same.
Vendside Limited were, at the time of entering into the claims handling
arrangements, the vehicle through which the UDM presented claims on
behalf of their members. Vendside Limited entered into the Vibration
White Finger claims, handling arrangement for and on behalf of the UDM.
The legal advice received at the time was that Vendside Limited had
authority to enter into arrangement for and on behalf of the UDM.
Source: The
Stationery Office
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