MPs have called for a meeting with Coal Health Minister Nigel Griffiths to discuss their concerns over changes to the miners' compensation scheme.

The move follows exchanges between MPs and the minister in charge of the respiratory compensation scheme.

While a High Court judge has approved a fast-track claim-handling scheme for living ex-miners, the issue of how claims by the relatives of deceased miners will be speeded up is still undecided.

MPs from coalfield communities, including those in the North-East, fear the Government wants to change the rules and exclude many widows and families of former miners from compensation payouts.

On Tuesday, Mick Clapham, Barnsley West MP and chairman of the coalfields commmunities group, tabled a parliamentary motion to con- demn proposals that would lead to claims being judged as "unassessable" where there was a lack of evidence.

Until now the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) had accepted the need to reach a settlement on the basis of the balance of probability, providing the claim has been filled in correctly and a death certificate is available.

Last night, Mr Clapham said the minister had agreed to a clear-the-air meeting with MPs for coalfield communities.

The MPs were alerted by members of the Claimants Solicitors' Group (CSG), who are also pressing the DTI for more information.

Andrew Tucker, a solicitor with law firm Irwin Mitchell and a member of the CSG, said: "The concern arises from the last court hearing. The DTI flagged up that there is a group of claims they describe as unassessable, which they think should be denied compensation.

"They were asked in court what they meant by this and they avoided answering this. We are still awaiting a response."