MINERS' leaders have stepped up their attacks on controversial plans to cap compensation payments.

Last week, The Northern Echo revealed exclusively that up to 200,000 ex-miners and their families could lose out on potential six-figure pay-outs.

Under the new scheme, miners who pass basic lung-function tests would be paid a flat rate of about £500 and not be allowed to have a full medical assessment.

In the existing scheme, ex-miners who have had medical assessments have been paid an average of £10,000 in compensation for lung disease.

Details of the proposals were leaked by an unidentified insider.

If the DTI's plan is approved, the restrictions will also apply to the families of ex-miners where the claimant has died and no medical records are available.

So far, 152,000 compensation payments have been made to ex-miners or their families after an historic judgement that underground workers who were not issued with masks should have compensation for lung damage.

But the DTI fears that, with another 350,000 claims in the queue, the process could drag on until 2011. In a bid to speed up the process, it has applied to Mr Justice Turner in the High Court for permission to introduce new assessment procedures. A ruling is expected later this month.

But Steve Kemp, national secretary of the National Union of Miners, said: "As a union we will insist that the 200,000 claims will be properly dealt with."

He said: "We will proceed with claims on behalf of our members with the utmost vigour. If there are deals which will take their rights away we will take them to the highest courts in the land.

A DTI spokesman confirmed that Mr Justice Turner had asked the department to put proposals to him which would "simplify" and speed up compensation claims.