Aberfan families offered just pounds 50

FAMILIES bereaved in the Aberfan disaster in which 116 children and 28 adults died were initially offered just pounds 50 compensation each by the National Coal Board, it was disclosed yesterday on the eve of the unveiling at Merthyr Tydfil of archive material not seen for more than 30 years.

Eventually, the NCB paid out a total of pounds 160,000 - pounds 500 for each child, money for traumatised survivors and compensation for damage to property.

The disaster, on 21 October 1966, buried Pantglas school under an avalanche of colliery waste when a tip above the village collapsed.

Much of the new material now open to public scrutiny was discovered by Iain McLean, professor of politics at Nuffield College, Oxford. It was released under the 30-year rule at the Public Record Office, Kew.

His research assistant, Martin Johnes, spent four months sorting through a mountain of documents discovered at Merthyr library.

The 73 files of evidence taken at the subsequent inquiry tell part of the story. Boxes of reports, council minutes and correspondence between the NCB and Merthyr council concerning tip safety long pre-date the disaster. A yellowing cutting from the Merthyr Express of 10 September 1960 records residents' fears with the NCB responding that the tip posed no danger. Hundreds of letters from residents, some written in the 1950s, foresaw the disaster.

While rescuers were trying to extricate victims from the mass of slurry, Lord Robens, then NCB chairman, was at a party to mark his installation as Chancellor of Surrey University.

He went to South Wales the next day after commenting on the "ghoulish" media coverage. Professor McLean said yesterday: "The Coal Board spin- doctored its way all along. It controlled the agenda from the day of the disaster.

"Despite the tribunal's strongly worded report, Lord Robens did not resign, nor was any blameworthy member of Coal Board staff dismissed or prosecuted."

Despite its charitable status, the disaster fund which raised pounds 1.75m was forced to contribute pounds 150,000 towards the removal of other tips looming over the village. Last year, the Secretary of State for Wales, Ron Davies, arranged for the money to be repaid.