§ Mr. WorthingtonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what advice he has received ever the past 10 years about rising asbestos liabilities; and what action he has taken to ensure that those suffering from asbestos-related diseases were covered by employers liability insurance. [148915]
§ Mr. MeacherUnder the Employers Liability (Compulsory Insurance) Act 1969, employers carrying on a business in Great Britain have been required since 1972 to insure their liabilities to employees for bodily injury or disease arising from their employment. The Act is enforced by the Health and Safety Executive. Most public sector employers are exempt from this requirement because their liabilities can be met from public funds. My Department is not aware of any case in the last 10 years where a sufferer was not compensated because an insurer did not indemnify a policyholder in accordance with their policy after liability had been established.