A FINAL judgement over proposals to speed up compensation payments to former miners could be only days away.

Mr Justice Turner told both parties in yesterday's High Court hearing to put forward a joint submission for his consideration.

The judge, whose ruling in 1997 led to the respiratory disease compensation scheme, has asked the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the claimants' solicitors to identify issues he can rule on.

While there is much common ground, there is still disagreement over which categories of claimants would qualify for compensation and the size of payouts.

The DTI is proposing to pay former pitmen with near-normal lung capacity £1,600 as part of so-called expedited offers.

The same payment would be made to compensation claimants who do not satisfactorily complete the basic lung function test, but who have worked underground.

Former pitmen with limited lung damage would qualify for immediate payments of £2,700 under the DTI proposals, while claimants with more serious lung damage would be assessed by chest specialists.

However, claimants would only be able to go forward to this second stage if they turn down an initial offer.

Lawyers representing the 378,000 claims still awaiting settlement will finalise an agreed statement with the DTI, which will be submitted to the judge tomorrow.

A controversial proposal by the DTI to deny thousands of claimants the right to be seen by a consultant was dropped last week after coalfields MPs staged a revolt.

Coal Health Minister Nigel Griffiths was forced to withdraw the proposal after an exclusive story in The Northern Echo led to protests from MPs representing former mining communities across the country.

Roger Maddocks, a Newcastle solicitor who is one of the claimants' spokesmen, said: "We are still looking for improved offers across a wider range of categories."