GOVERNMENT officials have revealed how they plan to speed up compensation payments to thousands of ex-miners.

Under new proposals, former pitmen with near-normal lung capacity will be offered £1,600. This rises to £2,700 for claimants with limited lung damage.

Claimants with more significant lung damage would remain in the queue to see a consultant chest physician and be in line for larger payouts.

The details were disclosed as the Department of Health put its proposals to Mr Justice Turner in the High Court yesterday.

Earlier this year, the judge asked the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the claimants solicitors' group (CSG) to come up with proposals to speed up the handling of the 378,000 claims still awaiting settlement. This was after the DTI estimated that it could take until 2011 to settle all the claims for lung damage.

Yesterday saw the opening proposals from the DTI. Counter-proposals from the pitmen's lawyers are expected to be made today.

A controversial proposal by the DTI to deny tens of thousands of claimants the right to have a full examination by a chest consultant was dropped last week after a revolt by coalfields MPs.

Coal Health Minister Nigel Griffiths was forced to back down after an exclusive story in The Northern Echo alerted coalfields MPs to the confidential proposals.

However, claimants who turn down an initial offer might end up empty-handed if a medical examination concludes they have not suffered significant lung damage.

Last night, Newcastle solicitor Roger Maddocks, a member of the CSG steering group, said his side broadly accepted the banding system but queried the amounts on offer.

"We would say that any offer to our clients should reflect the very substantial savings which will be made if this fast-track approach is approved," said Mr Maddocks.

So far, £1.2bn has been paid out to 153,000 respiratory claimants.

Read more about the Justice for the Miners campaign here.