Asbestosis and Mesothelioma (Hansard, 20 December 1979)

§ Mr. Skinner
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services in how many cases, from 1967 to date, deaths have occurred among recipients of disability benefit arising from asbestosis.

§ Mr. Prentice
The information is not available in the form requested.
The number of successful claims for industrial death benefit for the five years from and including 1974, in which death was accepted as due to, or materially accelerated by asbestosis, is 279, including a provisional figure of 20 in respect of 1978 and 12 awards made under the Pneumoconiosis, Byssionosis and Miscellaneous Diseases Benefit Scheme. Prior to 1974, awards of death benefit for asbestosis, which are included in the awards for pneumoconiosis, were not separately identified.

§ Mr. Skinner
asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) from 1967 to

(B) DEATH CERTIFICATES MENTIONING ASBESTOSIS OR MESOTHELIOMA. GREAT BRITAIN 1968–77

Year of death

Disease 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977

Asbestosis 80 78 87 94 107 107 138 147 190 183

Mesothelioma 154 159 194 176 209 217 230 264 308 328

Both asbestosis and mesothelioma (included above). (32) (27) (40) (29) (39) (30) (64) (50) (74) (53)

Notes:

1.All figures relate to deaths in Great Britain. No division between England and Wales and Scotland is readily available for Table B.

2. Deaths are by year of registration in Table A, and by year of occurence in Table B.

3. Figures for 1967 have been omitted because they are unreliable for Table B.

4. The figures in Table B include cases where the relevant disease was mentioned either as one of the causes involved in the train of circumstances leading directly to death (Part I of the death certificate) or as a condition contributing to the death but not related to the disease which caused it (Part II of death certificate).

5. The underlying causes to which deaths in Table B were assigned could be obtained only at a disproportionate cost.

6. Cases where mesothelioma is mentioned on death certificates constitute the mesothelioma register; additions to it are therefore as shown in Table 5 above.

7. No figures showing how many of the mesothelioma cases tabulated above received disability benefit are readily available.

(B) DEATH CERTIFICATES MENTIONING ASBESTOSIS OR MESOTHELIOMA. GREAT BRITAIN 1968–77
	Year of death
Disease	1968	1969	1970	1971	1972	1973	1974	1975	1976	1977
Asbestosis	80	78	87	94	107	107	138	147	190	183
Mesothelioma	154	159	194	176	209	217	230	264	308	328
Both asbestosis and mesothelioma (included above).	(32)	(27)	(40)	(29)	(39)	(30)	(64)	(50)	(74)	(53)
Notes:
1.All figures relate to deaths in Great Britain. No division between England and Wales and Scotland is readily available for Table B.
2. Deaths are by year of registration in Table A, and by year of occurence in Table B.
3. Figures for 1967 have been omitted because they are unreliable for Table B.
4. The figures in Table B include cases where the relevant disease was mentioned either as one of the causes involved in the train of circumstances leading directly to death (Part I of the death certificate) or as a condition contributing to the death but not related to the disease which caused it (Part II of death certificate).
5. The underlying causes to which deaths in Table B were assigned could be obtained only at a disproportionate cost.
6. Cases where mesothelioma is mentioned on death certificates constitute the mesothelioma register; additions to it are therefore as shown in Table 5 above.
7. No figures showing how many of the mesothelioma cases tabulated above received disability benefit are readily available.