§ Mrs. Iris RobinsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will estimate the(a) cost and (b) number of working days lost as a result of asthma in Northern Ireland in the last year for which figures are available. [160612]
§ Mr. PearsonInformation regarding the cost and number of working days lost as a result of occupational asthma in Northern Ireland is not available. However, it is estimated that the total cost of work-related ill health in Northern Ireland could be as much as £330 million per year and that this accounts for an estimated £365,000 million working days lost each year. It is estimated that over 4,000 people in Northern Ireland are affected by asthma caused or made worse by work and that there are approximately 200 new cases each year.