§ Mr. Alfred Morrisasked the Secretary of State for Defence if he is satisfied that his Department has discharged its responsibilties to workers and their families who contracted asbestosis as a result of employment in Her Majesty's dockyards; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Ian StewartThe medical, welfare and compensation arrangements made by my Department are designed to meet the needs of those personnel who contrcted asbestosis as a result of their employment in Her Majesty's dockyards, and their families. The Department endeavours to discharge its responsibilities fully in this respect.
§ Mr. Alfred Morrisasked the Secretary of State for Defence how many compensation claims for asbestosis incurred through work undertaken in Her Majesty's dockyards have been met by his Department; and what was the average amount of compensation paid.
§ Mr. Ian StewartA total of 463 claims have been settled by or on behalf of my Department in an average amount of £6,310.
§ Mr. Alfred Morrisasked the Secretary of State for Defence on what date dangers to men working with asbestos in Her Majesty's dockyards were suspected; on what date such work was discounted; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Ian StewartThe health hazards to men working with asbestos in Her Majesty's dockyards were first recognised in the early 1960s. Since that time, by the introduction of asbestos-free alternatives wherever possible, the Ministry of Defence has drastically reduced the amount of asbestos present in Her Majesty's ships.
There are also stringent and extensive safety procedures for dealing with asbestos. New regulations, as recommended by the Advisory Committee on Asbestos in 1979, came into force on 1 Januray 1983. These regulations, which tightened the control limits for exposure to asbestos and extended the atmospheric sampling period, were applied in Her Majesty's dockyards in advance of the statutory commencement date and provide the work force with the necessary protection.
§ Mr. Alfred Morrisasked the Secretary of State for Defence what special arrangements have been made for payment of pensions to widows of men who contracted asbestosis as a result of working in Her Majesty's dockyards.
§ Mr. Ian StewartNo special arrangements have been made. But if a civil servant dies as a direct result of a disease such as asbestosis contracted in Government service after the introduction of the principal Civil Service pension scheme in 1972 a lump sum equal to three months 481W pensionable pay and an annual allowance may be paid to his widow in addition to any widows and childrens pension payable under the normal provisions of the principal Civil Service pension scheme. The allowance is designed to bring the total of occupational and certain social security benefits up to 45 per cent. of pensionable pay. An injury compensation payment may be paid to the dependants of non-industrial civil servants who contracted the disease prior to the introduction of the principal Civil Service pension scheme.
In the case of service men, if the Department of Health and Social Security accepted that death arose front causes related to service, it would award a war widows pension; and if the MOD also accepted that death arose from such causes then provided the husband served on or after 1 March 1973 an attributable widows pension would be awarded.