The government has come under renewed pressure to probe the alleged undersettlement of coal health compensation claims, after an MP wrote to business secretary Lord Mandelson calling on him to take ‘hard line action’ against any law firms that might have undersettled.

Dai Davies, Independent MP for Blaenau Gwent and a member of the All-Party Parliamentary Coalfields Community Group, wrote to Lord Mandelson last month.

He said in his letter: ‘I would urge the government to take all necessary action to reclaim the exorbitant money paid to the relevant solicitors and review the compensation cases which… were under-valued at the time of settlement.’

Davies told the Gazette this week: ‘Most people who have put a claim in have questioned the significant profits made out of the suffering of miners and miners’ families. Those individuals feel that some cases have been rushed through.’ He said that he is expecting a reply from Mandelson shortly.

The issue of alleged under­settlement of former coal miners’ coal health compensation claims was explored in a Gazette special report earlier this year (see [2009] Gazette, 30 July, 6). At the beginning of October, Labour MP for Bassetlaw John Mann said that he is gathering hundreds of former coal miners to sue their legal adviser for allegedly undersettling claims.