§ Malcolm BruceTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the most recent estimate is of the number of(a) deaths from mesothelioma, (b) cases of lung cancer attributable to asbestos, (c) deaths from asbestosis, (d) disablement benefit cases relating to asbestosis and (e) cases of disablement benefit for diffuse pleural thickening. [175957]
§ Jane KennedyThere were 1, 848 deaths from mesothelioma in 2001 (the latest year for which data are available).
Lung cancers caused by exposure to asbestos cannot be individually distinguished from those due to other causes such as smoking. However, based on research evidence on the relative incidence of mesothelioma and lung cancer in specific occupational groups, it is estimated that there were between approximately 1,750 and 3,500 asbestos related lung cancer deaths in 2001.
There were 73 deaths in 2001 in Great Britain where the underlying cause of death was recorded as asbestosis.
Provisional figures for 2003 indicate that 650 cases of asbestosis and 400 cases of diffuse pleural thickening were identified through the Department for Work and Pensions Industrial Injuries and Disablement Benefit Scheme.