Latest asbestos industry news
New MP presses coalition government on asbestos
A new MP has called for the coalition government to honour asbestos-related promises made by the Labour party.
In a series of questions in parliament, Leeds West MP Rachel Reeves demanded to know whether the coalition would follow through with Labour’s plans to compensate victims of asbestos exposure diagnosed with pleural plaques and make it easier for the victims to claim against insurers.
She also asked whether plans remained in place to establish an Employers Liability Insurance Bureau (ELIB) to pay compensation to those who cannot trace their former employer.
A consultation instigated by the previous government to investigate the potential effectiveness and viability of an ELIB came to an end the day before the election and Rachel Reeves has called on the new government to publish its finding as soon as possible.
The fund, which would be of particular benefit to those suffering from mesothelioma, will help many victims whose financial situation relies on the outcome of the consultation.
Reeves said: "Asbestos victims don't have time to wait for answers on an ELIB and deserve to be told as soon as possible what they can expect under this new Government.
"Many of those waiting on the ELIB consultation have just months to live. For them an ELIB can give them real peace of mind in knowing their family will be provided financially for following their death."
Kershaw Contracting Services conducts asbestos surveys and asbestos removal.
