§ Mr. Maddenasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the number of people who have died of asbestosis in the last five years; and what were their home towns.
§ Mr. O'MalleyThe statistics available relate to cases for which death benefit for pneumoconiosis—which includes asbestosis—was awarded under the Industrial Injuries Act and the Pneumoconiosis, Byssinosis and Miscellaneous Diseases Benefit Scheme, and to cases certified for workmen's compensation purposes. Figures are not available for particular areas. The figures in the table below for Great Britain for 1968-1972, the last five years for which statistics are available, show separately the number of cases in the mining and quarrying and other industries. Separate figures were not kept for asbestosis cases but in 1966, the latest year for which such information is available, about half the cases in industries other than mining and quarrying related to deaths from asbestosis.
Year Mining and quarrying industries Other industries All industries 1968 … 714 157 871 1969 … 718 152 870 1970 … 773 166 939 1971 … 615 161 776 1972 … 660 191 851 The figures for 1972 are provisional
§ Mr. Maddenasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the number of people who have unsuccessfully claimed industrial disability benefit because of asbestosis from the Pneumoconiosis Panel in 1974 to the latest available date, and for the previous five years on an annual basis.
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§ Mr. O'MalleyThe figures for the five calendar years 1969 to 1973 were 100, 101, 133, 140 and 124, respectvely. No figures are yet available for 1974.
§ Mr. Maddenasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the number of people in receipt of industrial disability benefit in 1974 as a consequence of certified asbestosis to the latest available date, and in the previous years on an annual basis.
§ Mr. O'MalleyThe number of claimants for disablement benefit under the Industrial Injuries Act in whom asbestosis was diagnosed in each of the calendar years 1969–1973 was 134, 153, 145, 125 and 143, respectively. No figures are yet available for 1974. The Department's statistics do not show the total number of persons receiving disablement benefit in respect of asbestosis distinguished from other forms of pneumoconiosis.