South Yorkshire MP urges Government to give recipients of controversial miners' pension scheme a "decent deal"

The Mineworkers Pension Scheme (MPS) has 130,047 members with one in five – 27,051 – living in and around South Yorkshire.

The new figures came from a request from John Healey, MP for Wentworth and Dearne to the House of Commons Library.

Mr Healey says that for 6,710 members in and around the Wentworth and Dearne constituency alone – more than in the whole of the North West region combined the average pension is just £84 a week.

Mr Healey said: “These new figures show what a difference it would make in our area if the Government listened and gave miners and their families a decent deal.

“They deserve better than £84 a week after the very tough job they did underground to keep our country going.

"It is time for the government to do what is right and cut their share so more pension support goes to the mineworkers.

“Ministers should at least use the surplus to help the poorest pensioners and increase investment in coalfield communities.”

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