UCATT Fears Government Skulduggery On Pleural Plaques Delay

Construction union UCATT are becoming increasingly concerned that the Government is intent on committing skulduggery and denying thousands of asbestos victims justice.

UCATT fears are due to the fact that the Government has still not responded to the consultation on restoring compensation to pleural plaques sufferers, seven months after they promised to do so.

The Government’s consultation into restoring compensation for pleural plaques sufferers was launched in July 2008 and concluded in October 2008. At the time of the consultation’s launch Justice Minister Bridget Prentice said that the Government would “aim to publish our response within a month of receiving responses to the consultation”. On October 28^th 2008 the Justice Secretary Jack Straw told the House of Commons that he hoped “to announce our response next month”. No announcement was forthcoming.

Earlier this year Gordon Brown the Prime Minister, twice promised an early resolution to the pleural plaques compensation issue. On February 11 2009 Mr Brown told the House of Commons: “I can assure you there will be an announcement very soon.” In early April 2009 Mr Brown was again asked about pleural plaques, he said: “The Justice Secretary will make a statement on this when we return after Easter.”

However on 5 May 2009 Jack Straw said: “Consideration of the responses…. is taking longer than we anticipated, because of the complexity involved. However, I certainly intend that we should come to conclusions before the summer recess.”

Alan Ritchie, General Secretary of UCATT, said: “These constant delays in responding to the consultation are becoming decidedly sinister. Thousands of ordinary working class people have had their health needlessly damaged by breathing in asbestos. The Government’s delay and inaction is increasing their suffering.”

It had previously been thought that the Government were preparing to overturn the Law Lords decision in 2007 to ban compensation for pleural plaques victims, particularly as the Scottish Parliament has already passed legislation overturning the Law Lords decision for pleural plaques victims north of the border. In January 2008 Bridget Prentice said: “It would be unacceptable in such a situation for people in one part of the United Kingdom to receive compensation and others in another part not to do so. That would be inequitable.”

Despite this UCATT are concerned that the Government is planning to backtrack on its commitment due to pressure from the insurance industry, which is estimated to have saved £1.4 billion in compensation claims since the House of Lords verdict.

UCATT are concerned that the Government will try to bury the issue by publishing their consultation response on the last day that Parliament sits in July before the three month summer recess begins.

Mr Ritchie, added: “The Government must not give in to the grasping insurers. This is a simple issue of justice. A Government, which believes in social justice, would recognise this and would overturn the Law Lords decision.”

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Notice to Editors:

Pleural plaques are scarring of the lungs caused by heavy and prolonged exposure to asbestos. Victims often experience some physical symptoms but are also likely to suffer mental trauma. Pleural plaques victims have a greatly increased risk of developing the incurable lung cancer mesothelioma.

When compensation was payable for pleural plaques it was only worth a few thousand pounds. Crucially it meant that a company had admitted liability to exposing a worker to asbestos. If a worker then developed a more serious condition such as mesothelioma, the fact that liability had already been admitted, would mean that they would receive compensation during their lifetime.