§ Mr. CoxTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many deaths were caused by exposure to asbestos in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement. [4789]
§ Dr. WhiteheadIn 1998 the year in which the most recent data are available, a total of around 1,600 deaths were attributable to asbestos exposure. Between 1,500 and 3,000 lung cancer deaths each year may also be attributable to asbestos, but these cannot be determined exactly since they are individually indistinguishable from cancers due to other causes such as smoking.