§ The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will now make a Statement on recent investigations into the causes of mesothelioma and its connection with various forms of asbestos and from what medical research authorities at home and abroad they are receiving advice.
§ Lord JACQUESMy Lords, the world's medical literature continues to report an association between occupational and non-occupational asbestos exposure and mesothelioma in man. Three types of asbestos—crocidolite, amosite and chrysotile—have been implicated. In a proportion of cases it has not been possible to ascertain an asbestos exposure, suggesting the possibility of other causative factors. Experimental work on laboratory animals has shown that very fine mineral fibres other than asbestos may induce mesothelioma: because of the unnatural conditions of the experiments the significance of these findings to man is in doubt.
The Employment Medical Advisory Service of the Health and Safety Executive is conducting a long-term study of all workers in the asbestos industry and maintains a register of deaths from mesothelioma which formed the basis of a report last year on the problems of recognising, confirming and attributing the disease. The Health and Safety Executive also participates in the work of the International Agency for Research on Cancer. Her Majesty's Government fund research into asbestos-related diseases through the Medical Research Council and British and American Governmental 1600 bodies maintain close contact in this field. Research into the disease is also monitored through review in the world's literature.
§ Lord HALEMy Lords, is the noble Lord aware that I have in my hand a recent bibliography of about 150 books and articles on mesothelioma, nearly all of recent origin and authority, and that conferences have been held at which the matter has been raised by the International Labour Office, the World Health Organisation and other international authorities? Great concern is being manifested in many other countries about this dreadful and almost inevitably fatal affliction, which is not merely what the noble Lord formerly called cancer of the lung, because it also affects the peritoneum and other parts of the body. Will the noble Lord explain why any Member of this House has such extraordinary difficulty in getting any detailed information? Will he also explain why many official medical reports are regarded as private by the Ministry, and one is not permitted to obtain a copy of them?
§ Lord JACQUESMy Lords, I have no information regarding literature which is maintained to be private. I know that the Employment Medical Advisory Service has offered in writing to meet my noble friend and discuss the problem with him, and that offer still holds good.
§ Baroness SUMMERSKILLMy Lords, in view of the near certainty that mesothelioma is associated with asbestosis, will my noble friend say whether it is now scheduled as an industrial disease?
§ Lord JACQUESMy Lords, I understand that it is.
§ Lord MERRIVALEMy Lords, in view of the fact that the Question asks from what medical authorities Her Majesty's Government are seeking advice, will the noble Lord say whether advice has been sought from the Welcome Foundation, which has made a great study of asbestosis and mesothelioma?
§ Lord JACQUESMy Lords, I am sure that the Government must have done so. I can tell your Lordships that there is greater activity than there has ever been concerning this problem internationally as well as within the United Kingdom, 1601 because of the information that has become available in recent years.
§ Lord POPPLEWELLMy Lords, if mesothelioma is now scheduled as an industrial disease, can my noble friend say whether the Government are prepared to consider whether the pneumoconiosis, which ultimately develops from this disease, may be dealt with on the same lines as pneumoconiosis contracted by miners in the mining industry? My noble friend will remember that when a similar question affecting this issue was asked on a previous occasion, he replied that there were only about 800-odd asbestosis sufferers. Will he look at rescheduling the disease in the way I have indicated?
§ Lord JACQUESMy Lords, this issue was raised last Thursday, and immediately afterwards I wrote to the Secretary of State directing his attention to the questions that had been put in the House.
§ Lord HALEMy Lords, is my noble friend aware that, when I was pressing him for some evidence as to whether a successful action had ever been brought in connection with the results of asbestos poisoning, I received a letter saying that the Ministry had no record of such an occurence and suggesting that I should consult the TUC? Is he also aware that in 1970, after a fortnight's hearing in the High Court, £86,000 was awarded to seven claimants who were able to sustain the difficult task of proving a consistent breach of the regulations? May I further ask my noble friend whether he is aware that one of those men, who was awarded £16,000, had previously received a cheque from his employers for £400 ex gratia and had been asked to sign a release in respect of all future liability, and that this matter of ex gratia is something which he will hear more about?
§ Lord JACQUESMy Lords, I was not aware that my noble friend had that information. I am sorry that these people should have suffered in this way, but I am glad to hear that some compensation has been paid.
§ Lord HALEMy Lords, is my noble friend aware that that was followed by a prosecution by the Factory Inspectorate, and will he agree that if this Ministry has not heard of a prosecution 1602 undertaken by its own Factory Inspectorate its records are obviously inadequate?