XN000022-1993-03-04 — Page 26

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THURSDAY, MARCH 4, 1993

QUESTION:

GOOD MORNING. WELL, MY QUESTION IS AS FOLLOWS. NOW IN THE BUDGET $10 MILLION WILL BE ALLOCATED FOR THE WORKERS, THE WORKERS WILL BENEFIT FROM IT. NOW FOR THE INJURED WORKERS $10 MILLION IS NOT A LARGE AMOUNT BECAUSE IF WE LOOK AT THE TRAFFIC ACCIDENT ASSISTANCE SCHEME FOR EXAMPLE, YOU WILL SEE THAT $10 MILLION IS ENTIRELY INADEQUATE. IF WE LOOK AT THE TRAFFIC ACCIDENT ASSISTANCE SCHEME, FOR FAMILY WITH A FATALITY THE LOAN CAN STAND AS HIGH AS $90,000. AND WE AT PRESENT HAVE AROUND 200 FAMILIES WITH INJURED WORKERS, SO HOW DO DEAL WITH THEM? SO YOU FEEL THAT $10 MILLION IS NOT ADEQUATE AT ALL,

SO IT WILL NOT HELP THE INJURED WORKERS OR THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS TO TIDE THEM OVER THEIR DIFFICULTIES. IS THAT WINDOW-DRESSING, OR IS THAT REALLY ADEQUATE, MR MACLEOD?

A

WE

FS:

WITH

YES, THIS IS NOT A REPLACEMENT, THERE IS A SCHEME ALREADY FOR COMPENSATION FOR INJURED WORKERS. WHAT WE ARE DOING HERE IS DEALING WITH THE PROBLEM THAT IT TAKES FAR TOO LONG FOR THE CLAIMS OF INJURED WORKERS TO BE DEALT

AND THE MONEY ΤΟ BE DISHED OUT, IN FACT IT

TAKES ANYTHING FROM FOUR MONTHS TO A YEAR, AND WHAT WE ARE DOING IS, WE ARE FILLING THAT GAP BY PROVIDING A LOAN FROM THIS FUND SO THAT WHILE THE FAMILIES OF THE WORKERS, OR THE WORKERS, WAIT FOR THIS CLAIM TO BE PROCESSED, THEY WILL HAVE MONEY. THAT IS THE PURPOSE OF IT. AND THE ESTIMATE IS THAT PROBABLY ABOUT 400 WORKERS A YEAR WILL WISH TO USE THIS FUND.

QUESTION:

BUT I FEEL THAT THE AMOUNT OF MONEY IS NOT ADEQUATE. DO YOU THINK THAT THERE HAS BEEN AN UNDERESTIMATION? WE HAVE SOME 200 FATALITIES ALREADY AND THESE CLAIMANTS WILL GET THE PAYMENTS AFTER ONE OR TWO YEARS' TIME.

FS:

COULD

JUST TRY AND EXPLAIN BETTER. THIS IS A REVOLVING FUND, IT SIMPLY DEALS WITH THE GAP BEFORE THEY GET THEIR PROPER COMPENSATION. SO THEY GET A LOAN; THAT IS REPAID WHEN THEY GET THE PAY-OUT. WE HAVE ACTUALLY CALCULATED THE MONEY SO THAT IT IS ENOUGH FOR THE EXPECTED DEMAND. IT IS NOT A LIMITING FIGURE, IT IS CALCULATED TO DEAL WITH THE NUMBER OF CASES THAT WE ARE EXPECTING.

↑

KIT CUMMINGS: AND PRESUMABLY IT IS NOT BEYOND THE WIT OF MAN, SHOULD THERE BE A SUDDEN RUSH FOR THAT MONEY, FOR A SUPPLEMENTARY SUM TO BE AWARDED?

YES, IF IT PROVES TO BE INADEQUATE, I AM PERFECTLY OPEN

INCREASE IT, BUT OUR ESTIMATE IS THAT

FS:

TO PROPOSALS TO

ADEQUATE.

IT

WILL RE

/QUESTION