UP to 100,000 former miners were promised fast-track payments of up to £12,900 for breathing injuries, under a scheme that started yesterday.

Solicitors representing claimants hailed the announcement by the Department for Trade and Industry (DTI) as a "welcome" breakthrough for living miners with lung damage.

But they warned that ex-pitmen with near-normal lung function - the largest proportion of claimants - were excluded because no agreement had been reached on the level of payouts.

Industry Minister Nigel Griffiths said: "This fast-track procedure gives up to 100,000 miners whose lungs suffered less damage the opportunity to receive a far quicker payment by avoiding the wait for a more extensive medical assessment.

"Each miner should decide, in consultation with their solicitor or advisor, whether the fast-track option is best for them."

Roger Maddocks, of the Claimants' Solicitors Group (CSG), said: "This is something we welcome and which we have been discussing with the DTI for several months.

"But it is only being partially implemented, which means there are large numbers of claimants who will continue to be ineligible for these fast-track offers.

"We hope the DTI will adopt a constructive and pragmatic approach, so that the scheme can be implemented quickly for these other groups."

Yesterday's announcement would free up about 75 respiratory medical consultants to concentrate on assessments of the more serious cases, he said.

It was made ahead of today's appearance by DTI officials before the trade and industry select committee, which is conducting an inquiry into the compensation scheme.

Last week, the CSG told the committee that long delays in making payouts had led many miners to the conclusion that the Government was "waiting for them to die".