§ Huw Irranca-DaviesTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the projections for asbestos-related illness and death over the next two decades(a) in the UK and (b) in Wales. [166748]
§ Jane KennedyThere are three diseases commonly associated with asbestos exposure; mesothelioma, lung cancer and asbestosis.
Statistical modelling has been used to produce an estimate of the future peak in the number of deaths due to mesothelioma in Great Britain. The annual total number of mesothelioma deaths in Great Britain is expected to peak at around 1,950 to 2,450 deaths some time between 2011 and 2015.
It is estimated that there are one or two cases of lung cancers caused by exposure to asbestos for every case of mesothelioma, and this ratio is expected to decrease over time. Mortality from asbestosis is between 100 and 200 cases per year. However no estimates have been made of the likely deaths in future years due to asbestosis.
No separate mesothelioma prediction has been carried out for Wales. In the period 1999–2001 there were 188 deaths from mesothelioma in Wales. Great Britain as a whole had 5,090 mesothelioma deaths in the same period. This represents a lower rate of mesothelioma in Wales (annual rate of 19 per million) than for the rest of Great Britain (28 per million).