HC Deb 01 March 1999 vol 326 c593W
Ms Kelly

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people have been awarded benefits related to asbestosis in(a) Bolton and (b) the north-west in the last five-year period for which figures are available; and, of these, how many previously worked in the locomotive industry. [72904]

Mr. Bayley

The administration of Industrial Injuries Benefit is a matter for the Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency, Peter Mathison. He will write to my hon. Friend.

Letter from Peter Mathison to Ms Ruth Kelly, dated March 1999: I am replying to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many people have been awarded benefits related to asbestosis in (a) Bolton and (b) the North West in the last five year period for which figures are available; and, of these, how many previously worked in the locomotive industry. The information is not available in the format requested. Data is only available for Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit (IIDB). Information for Bolton is not available as figures for IIDB are collated by Benefit Agency (BA) Area Directorate which do not correspond to Parliamentary constituency or Local Authority boundaries. The BA Area Directorate which includes Bolton also includes Salford and other areas of Greater Manchester. Data about injuries specific to the locomotive industry are not kept. The information that is available is shown on the enclosed table. I am sorry I could not be of more help on this occasion.

Industrial injuries disablement benefit asbestosis assessments in the North West
Period Number of assessments
1995 140
1996 100
1997 104
January to June 1998 33

Notes:

Figures are provisional and subject to change

Figures include Pneumoconiosis (PD D1), where the attributable agent has been asbestos, Diffuse Mesothelioma (PD D3), Primary Carcinoma of the Lung with accompanying evidence of one or both of the following: (a) asbestos (b) unilateral or bilateral diffuse pleural thickening (PD D8) and Unilateral or bilateral diffuse pleural thickening (PD D9).

Figures for the North West are available by Government Office Region (GOR). The North West GOR covers the counties of Cumbria, Cheshire, Greater Manchester and Lancashire.

Source:

DSS (Analytical Services Division) 100% Data.

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