Asbestos bill reaches Lords
December 11, 2007
A government bill which could have a big impact on some asbestos-related compensation claims has reached the House of Lords, Workplace Law reports.
Under the terms of the Child Maintenance and Other Payments Bill, adults who have caught the deadly lung cancer mesothelioma - often triggered by asbestos inhalation - will get their compensation claims settled quicker.
However, this comes after October's bad news for pleural plaques sufferers - another lung condition caused by the deadly mineral.
The Law Lords ruled that the plaques - development of which often leads to deadly cancers - alone could not be used as the basis of compensation claims.
Commenting on the situation, specialist mesothelioma lawyer Adrian Budgen said: "The Scottish Executive agreed, last week, to introduce a Bill which will reverse the House of Lords' ruling and enable those negligently exposed to asbestos…to continue to be able to raise and pursue actions for damages in Scotland.
"It is now hoped that this development, along with ongoing work from English parliamentarians…will persuade the government in Westminster that steps need to be taken to ensure that people with pleural plaques receive proper redress."
To this end, Mr Budgen added that 60 MPs had already signed an Early Day Motion calling for a new debate to be held on the pleural plaques issue in the wake of the Law Lords' decision.