Saturday, 17 March 2007

MP Welcomes abestos
compensation proposals

“Could Make a Real Difference for Local Victims”

Calder Valley MP Chris McCafferty today welcomed new proposals announced by Secretary of State for Work and Pensions John Hutton today, to provide faster compensation to all people diagnosed with mesothelioma.

Currently only people who contract the disease from exposure to asbestos at work are eligible to claim a lump sum from the state. The new proposals would provide up-front financial support (within six weeks) to people who were previously not eligible, including those who were:

  • exposed to asbestos from a relative (e.g. from their overalls);
  • exposed to asbestos environmentally (e.g. lived near a factory using asbestos);
  • self-employed; and
  • those who can’t trace their exposure to asbestos.

Chris McCafferty MP told the Hebden Bridge Web, “It is very good news that the government has announced plans to speed up compensation for sufferers of mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is a dreadful disease devastates the lives of people who have worked in, or sometimes only had contact with, the asbestos industry.

“I have dealt with a number of distressing cases where people die before they get compensation, or they find they aren’t eligible because they contracted the disease from living near a factory or being exposed to a relative who worked there, rather than working at the factory themselves. I have been campaigning for some time to make sure that family members who suffer because of a secondary exposure receive the compensation they should.

“This has been an awful injustice, so I am delighted by the government’s commitment to get legislation through Parliament so everyone with mesothelioma can claim, irrespective of their employment history.”

Speaking at a mesothelioma summit in London, John Hutton said:

“No amount of money will ever make up for the suffering and loss to individuals and families caused by mesothelioma. But no-one should have to worry that they or their family will have to wait years before they see a penny of compensation especially as in many of these cases people do not have years to wait.

“That’s why we’re committed to ensuring that everyone with mesothelioma can receive compensation, irrespective of their employment history. This legislation would mean that once diagnosed, every sufferer should receive a substantial payment within six weeks of making a claim.”

See also:

HebdenWeb News: Remembering Acre Mill on Action Mesothelioma Day

Short video: Mesothelioma: the human face of asbestos epidemic

HebWeb Feature: The legacy of Acre Mill

Mytholmroyd Net: A memorial in Hebden Bridge

John Pickering website: Killer in the playground

Mytholmroyd Net: Britain's biggest Industrial Disaster

Mytholmroyd Net: Cape Mill's £40m for payout fund

Mytholmroyd Net: Acre Mill - the story that won't go away

Hebden Bridge Web News: John Pickering retires - greatly appreciated for his pioneering work with asbestos claims

Mytholmroyd Net: Study of mesothelioma in Calderdale, 1990

 

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