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Every year hundreds of people in Blackburn and throughout Lancashire die of asbestos diseases. Many deaths were traditionally associated with asbestos factories and heavy industries. Construction workers are now at greatest risk from asbestos, due to the material's heavy usage in buildings.
Pleural plaques are scarring of the lungs caused by heavy and prolonged exposure to asbestos. The scars become visible on x-rays following calcification. Pleural plaques cause limited physical symptoms, however victims suffer severe mental distress. Pleural plaques sufferers have a greatly increased chance of contracting the incurable lung disease mesothelioma.
Compensation for pleural plaques is a relatively low financial amount. However if a pleural plaque victim then develops the fatal lung cancer mesothelioma, the relevant insurers will have already been identified, meaning that compensation will be paid in a victim's lifetime. If the insurers have not already been identified this is unlikely to occur.
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Last October the Law Lords overturned over 20 years of common law and ruled that pleural plaques should no longer be a compensational illness. Their decision is understood to be worth at least £1.4 billion to the insurance industry.
Since that judgement asbestos campaigners led by UCATT have been attempting to get the Government to overturn the House of Lords decision. UCATT organised a highly successful postcard campaign, with thousands of people writing to the Ministry of Justice to get the ban overturned.
In July the Government released a consultation document on pleural plaques. While UCATT was pleased that the Government was actively considering the issue, they were disappointed that the document says the "Government is not minded" to overturn the Law Lords decision. This potentially places the Government at odds with the Scottish Parliament, who have already brought forward a Bill to overturn the Law Lords judgement. UCATT fears that a postcode lottery could be created with pleural plaques victims in Scotland receiving full compensation, while those in England are given less recompense.
Rather than overturn the Law Lords the Government appears inclined to create a scheme for asbestos victims. Such a scheme would not identify liability and the most severe cases would not receive adequate recompense.
In an attempt to place further pressure on the Government to overturn the Law Lords ruling, UCATT have decided to campaign in the seats of Cabinet Ministers where there is a high level of asbestos illness. On August 29, UCATT will be targeting the seats of Jack Straw and also the Leeds Central constituency of environment secretary Hilary Benn.
As the Justice Secretary Jack Straw is the key minister in the pleural plaque campaign. The Justice Department issued the consultation document on pleural plaques and it will be primarily Mr Straw's decision if the Government does decide to overturn the Law Lords decision.
(CD/JM)
