MINISTER for Energy, Brian Wilson, will be in Leigh next week to discuss coal compensation -- almost 10 years to the day after the closure of Leigh's last pits.

Mr Wilson will address a public meeting on the coal health compensation scheme at Leigh Miners' Welfare on Wednesday (March 27) at 6pm.

He has accepted an invitation from the borough's three MPs Andy Burnham (Leigh), Ian McCartney (Makerfield) and Neil Turner (Wigan) who recently met him to discuss points raised at last month's claimants' meeting in Wigan organised by the NUM.

Mr Burnham said: "This visit shows Labour's commitment to helping local claimants. It comes on the day before the 10th anniversary of the closure of Parsonage and it would be fitting to mark that by making progress on our local claims."

A representative from IRISC, the government's claims handler, will be present to take details relating to specific cases.