Ministers urged to act as pleural plaques bill advances

by René Lavanchy

LABOUR MP Andrew Dismore this week called on the Government to “take seriously” the issue of pleural plaques, after his bill allowing workers to claim compensation for the asbestos-related disease passed its first hurdle in Parliament.

by Tribune Web Editor
Thursday, April 30th, 2009

by René Lavanchy

LABOUR MP Andrew Dismore this week called on the Government to “take seriously” the issue of pleural plaques, after his bill allowing workers to claim compensation for the asbestos-related disease passed its first hurdle in Parliament.

Mr Dismore’s bill, which MPs allowed through without a vote last week, would overturn the House of Lords’ 2007 decision that pleural plaques sufferers are not entitled to compensation. Since that ruling, the Government has not indicated whether it intends to restore the right to claim money. But Mr Dismore said he expected ministers to take action.

“The real object is to try to get the Government to take this seriously”, he said. “The Government had a consultation on pleural plaques and they haven’t published the result of that.”

Pleural plaques, a scarring of the lungs, do not normally cause symptoms, but unions argue that workers should be compensated for the psychological effects and to insure against developing more serious asbestos diseases.

Justice minister David Hanson told MPs the Government would give “full consideration” to the issues.

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  • s.nagalingum

    this labour govt should stop dithering and start looking after
    their working class people.lot of Labour MPS are sleeping.british jobs
    for british people,twenty thousand
    young people cant find place at uni
    where is the jobs for our graduates.
    We need serious debates about europe
    and immigration now,we have to face
    fact,uk is not the world any more,we are part of it,Rt hon a.dismore

  • s.nagalingum

    this labour govt should stop dithering and start looking after
    their working class people.lot of Labour MPS are sleeping.british jobs
    for british people,twenty thousand
    young people cant find place at uni
    where is the jobs for our graduates.
    We need serious debates about europe
    and immigration now,we have to face
    fact,uk is not the world any more,we are part of it,Rt hon a.dismore

  • pauline Bonney

    Surely the fact that the anxiety which is caused by pleural plaques shown up on x-rays, gives rise to the acceptance of exposure to asbestos, with the reasoning that other asbestos diseases are probable in the future. Some pleural plaque victims have breathing problems which causes distress. Would it be appropriate to award two different levels of compensation ie: pleural plaques and the fact that the persons were not protected from exposure to asbestos and the other for disability caused and pleural plaques with negligence to protect? I noted that in the debate this gap between “just” pleural plaques and pleural plaques with other distressing problems to the victim, was being brought forward. We need to get this Bill sorted as victims of asbestos have been denied the right to be heard on so many occasions, and it is those people who have suffered and waited patiently whilst they live with the evidence of how destructive asbestos is.

  • pauline Bonney

    Surely the fact that the anxiety which is caused by pleural plaques shown up on x-rays, gives rise to the acceptance of exposure to asbestos, with the reasoning that other asbestos diseases are probable in the future. Some pleural plaque victims have breathing problems which causes distress. Would it be appropriate to award two different levels of compensation ie: pleural plaques and the fact that the persons were not protected from exposure to asbestos and the other for disability caused and pleural plaques with negligence to protect? I noted that in the debate this gap between “just” pleural plaques and pleural plaques with other distressing problems to the victim, was being brought forward. We need to get this Bill sorted as victims of asbestos have been denied the right to be heard on so many occasions, and it is those people who have suffered and waited patiently whilst they live with the evidence of how destructive asbestos is.

  • http://Tribune Graham Trickett

    Many thanks to Labour MP Andrew Dismore for bringing this matter to the attention of others and calling on the Goverment to take action now, 45 years ago I was working with Asbestos completely unprotected due to my employers lack of understanding of the dangers of this substance.

    Graham Trickett

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