Pleural plaques compensation demand

Paul Rowen MP, Liberal Democrat Health and Safety spokesman, this week questioned the Secretary of State for Justice Jack Straw on the issue of reinstating compensation for asbestos-related pleural plaques. The government has been delaying the publication of a statement into the issue of compensation.

In answer to a question asked by Mr Rowen in the House of Commons at Justice Questions, Mr Straw admitted that Mr Rowen was “right to chide him for delaying an announcement for 18 months.” He said he “hoped an announcement could be made as soon as possible.”

Mr Rowen said, commented: “It’s simply unacceptable that the Government are still delaying reinstating pleural plaques compensation. I have asked questions about when a statement will be made on a number of occasions in the Commons, and on each occasion I have been told that it is imminent. Yet, 18 months later, we are still waiting. Campaigning groups across the country want an answer and are tired of waiting for the Government to get their act together.

“We know that there is a relationship between pleural plaques and asbestos-related diseases. When the courts dealt with these cases before 2004, they accepted that relationship. In 99 per cent of cases, exposure has been negligent and should be compensated by employers.”

Jason Addy, Save Spodden Valley Group and Environmental and Occupational disease researcherat MMU School of Law, said: “Pleural plaques and the damage caused by asbestos is a terrible injustice. Action to right this wrong is very welcome especially as it is international insurance companies and financiers who are befitting from the current situation to the tune of billions of pounds. People with asbestos related pleural plaques were mostly negligently exposed to these deadly fibres at a time when insurers knew it was dangerous. People should always be put before profit.”