HC Deb 26 March 2002 vol 382 c967W
Dr. Julian Lewis

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (1) if he will make a statement on the criteria for compensation for asbestos-related illnesses contracted at work; [45206]

(2) if he will introduce legislation to ensure compensation for individuals who have contracted asbestos-related diseases after working with asbestos for more than one employer; [45208]

(3) if he will make a statement about the apportionment of responsibility between employers in cases where an individual suffering from asbestos-related illness has been employed by several employers. [45207]

Dr. Whitehead

The recent judgment of the Court of Appeal in the Fairchild case has the effect of preventing people suffering from work-related mesothelioma who worked for more than one employer from seeking compensation through the courts. On 13 February 2002,Official Report, column 401W, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced that my Department will use the compensation scheme that the Department administers under the Pneumoconiosis etc. (Workers' Compensation) Act 1979 to make payments to people affected by the Fairchild judgment, provided that they meet the other conditions of eligibility under the scheme.

The House of Lords will hear an appeal against the judgment of the Court of Appeal on 22–23 April. We will determine whether we need to act further in the light of the outcome of the appeal.

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