× GOVERNMENT ministers have rejected proposals to supply an immediate £1.2bn cash boost to thousands of ex-miners involved in a controversial pension scheme - saying they believe arrangements are ‘fair and beneficial’. The response to the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) Select Committee inquiry into the Mineworkers’ Pension Scheme (MPS) has been called a ‘slap in the face’ to those who toiled down the pits and their families. The inquiry and report were heavily critical of the government’s actions in claiming at least £4bn from a pension pot for former miners, many of whom live with long-term illness and disabilities.