§ Mr. Carmichael:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people have died from asbestos-related diseases in the United Kingdom in each year since 1990; and what estimates his Department has made of the number of likely deaths in future years. [140669]
§ Mr. Browne:The number of deaths in Great Britain due to mesothelioma and asbestosis each year from 1990 is given in the following table. In addition, it is estimated that for each mesothelioma there are one to two lung cancer deaths due to asbestos.
Death statistics for mesothelioma and asbestosis for Northern Ireland are not included. 684W
Deaths from mesothelioma and asbestosis 1990–2001 Mesothelioma Asbestosis 1990 895 100 1991 1,023 113 1992 1,097 91 1993 1,152 112 1994 1,246 116 1995 1,317 109 1996 1,322 137 1997 1,367 129 1998 1,541 123 1999 1,615 121 2000 11,631 140 2001 11,848 158 1Provisional. Source:
HSE mesothelioma and asbestosis registers.
Statistical modelling has been used to estimate the future peak number of mesothelioma deaths among both males and females. The annual total number of mesothelioma deaths in Great Britain is expected to peak at around 1,950 to 2,450 deaths some time between 2,011 and 2,015. It is estimated that the ratio of one to two of the number of asbestos-related lung cancers to the number of mesotheliomas will decrease slightly over time. No estimates have been made of the likely deaths in future years due to asbestosis.