§ Mr. CohenTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment the Chief Medical Officer of Health has made of health dangers associated with asbestos; what new steps her Department proposes to take; and if she will make a statement.
§ Mr. SackvilleThe principal diseases caused by exposure to asbestos are asbestosis, a pneumoconiosis; primary carcinoma of the lung; malignant mesothelioma; and diffuse mesothelioma. Asbestos-related diseases take a long time to develop and are nearly always the result of occupational exposure to asbestos fibres.
Asbestos-related diseases are prescribed as industrial diseases. Such diseases occurring now largely reflect past industrial exposure before the introduction of the controls, enforcement of which is the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Employment.