A RECORD number of final compensation offers were made to former miners during November, the Government announced last night.

Figures released by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) show that almost 7,000 offers, worth £47.7m, were made under the coal health compensation scheme last month.

More than half of those offers were made to lung injury complainants, marking the first time the DTI has offered more than 1,000 lung injury offers in any one month.

The Government has come under fire for delays in the payment of compensation to miners crippled with bronchitis, emphysema, and vibration white finger, and of families of miners who died after suffering lung problems, after British Coal was found to have failed to take steps to prevent them inhaling dust.

Long delays in the payments, made worse by the former National Coal Board losing or destroying many records, prompted The Northern Echo to launch its Justice for Miners campaign.

The Government aims to offer 50,000 full and final compensation offers for lung injuries by the end of 2002.

Energy Minister Brian Wilson said: "There must be no delay in bringing justice for those miners who gave their health and sometimes their lives in order to provide the nation with fuel.

"I recognise and respect the scale of the frustrations which have been caused by delays. To help balance the understandable concerns about delays, it is also important to get the message out that full and final settlements are now being made at a sharply increasing rate."