§ Mr. BattleTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment what instructions his Department has given to the Health and Safety Executive in the light of the Peto report on the projected increase in the number of deaths from mesothelioma.
§ Mr. Michael ForsytheI have given no specific instructions; Professor Peto's estimates are based on statistical data provided by the Health and Safety Executive. He has not yet produced a written report.
The HSE and Professor Peto are co-operating in closely analyzing the data more fully and determining their possible significance. Consideration is also being given to setting up an epidemiological study to subject the estimates to further investigation.