§ Tim LoughtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 26 February 2002,Official Report, column 1177W, on what pathological basis he states it is not possible to confirm the source of asbestos trading to individual cases of asbestos related disease. [43830]
33W
§ Dr. Whitehead[holding answer 15 March 2002]: Individual cases of mesothelioma or of lung cancer caused by asbestos are not pathologically or clinically distinguishable from those due to other causes. The link between asbestos exposure and the occurrence of these diseases is established scientifically by the observation that the "rates" of these diseases are consistently higher in population groups with asbestos exposure than in comparable non-exposed groups. Now this link is established, a judgment can be made for individual cases as to whether their conditions are likely to have been due to asbestos exposure if the extent of the individual case's exposure to asbestos is known or can be estimated. However, such judgments are always a question of a balance of probabilities, and can never be totally certain. Since every member of the population has been exposed to asbestos from multiple sources, the definitive linkage of individual cases to a particular source is not possible.
§ Tim LoughtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 26 February 2002,Official Report, column 1177W, on asbestos, if the cases of mesothelioma and lung cancer have been attributed by (a) estimates and (b) clinical pathology; and what the basis is of that methodology. [43792]
§ Dr. Whitehead[holding answer 15 March 2002]: The attribution of mesothelioma and lung cancer cases to asbestos exposure by doctors participating in the Surveillance of Work-related and Occupational Disease, known as SWORD, scheme reflects the reporting doctor's best judgment based on their knowledge of the case's exposure history. The attribution is not based on clinical pathology.
The statement that almost all mesothelioma cases recorded on the mesothelioma register are due to asbestos is an estimate based on the strongly established links between asbestos and mesothelioma, and the fact that the growth in the numbers of mesothelioma deaths at ages below 50) corresponds to the earlier growth and decline in national asbestos imports.
§ Tim LoughtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 26 February 2002,Official Report, column 1177W, what assessment he has made of the independent reports of Poolety, Davies, Hoskins, Browne, Gibbs Meldrum and Donnigan. [43848]
§ Dr. Whitehead[holding answer 15 March 2002]: It is not possible to give a reply to the hon. Member without further details. If he would care to write to me with full information on the specific reports and their authors I will ensure he receives a full reply.