GOVERNMENT minister Nigel Griffiths faces a tough grilling when he meets concerned coalfields MPs tomorrow.

The Coal Health Minister has been criticised by MPs, who fear that proposals to speed up compensation for pitmen will restrict the right to a full medical examination and lead to reduced payouts.

Mr Griffiths' controversial plans were revealed in a letter to coalfields' MPs last week.

The letter was a response to a series of exclusive reports in The Northern Echo.

Our reports correctly forecast that the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) was seeking to make take-it-or-leave-it offers to most miners on the basis of simple lung function tests.

We also accurately predicted that the DTI would seek to deny up to 230,000 ex-miners or their families access to a full assessment by a consultant chest physician.

The proposals so alarmed Mick Clapham, Barnsley West MP and chairman of the mining interest group in the House of Commons, that he asked the minister to attend an urgent meeting.

The DTI said the proposals were put together at the request of High Court judge Mr Justice Turner, in the interests of speeding up payments to claimants.

Officials say the shortages of chest specialists and the sheer scale of claims - 378,000 are still in the system - means that the process is likely to drag on until 2011 unless something radical is done.

The DTI also stressed it was not seeking to reduce the total amount of compensation.

But Mr Clapham said: "We take the view that people should have the right to the full medical assessment process if they wish. The judge may take note that there is so much concern that this meeting was called on the second day that Parliament resumed."

Easington MP John Cummings said: "We would be extremely concerned if there was any dilution of the scheme. Whatever happens, it has got to be fair and equitable."

Roger Maddocks, a solicitor with Irwin Mitchell, in Newcastle, and a member of the claimants' legal team, said: "We believe it is crucial that the right for claimants to reject an offer and have their claim medically assessed is preserved."

A DTI spokeswoman said: "We are not looking to cut the overall amount of compensation. We have been giving priority to the most seriously disabled and their widows."

So far, 152,000 respiratory claims have been settled and payments totalling £1.2bn made.

Both sides are expected to make submissions in the High Court later this month and a ruling is expected soon.

Read more about the Justice for the Miners campaign here.