Scottish pleural plaque bill expected to pass

Published on Sun 29 Jun 2008

A bill to compensate people with pleural plaques has been introduced to the Scottish parliament. The bill was welcomed by campaign groups and trades unions but heavily criticised by the insurance industry as it will overturn an earlier House of Lords ruling that pleural plaques are symptomless and do not merit compensation.

A Scottish Government spokesman said:

"The Justice Secretary has already made clear the Scottish Government's determination to reverse the House of Lords judgement and ensure that people with pleural plaques can continue to raise an action for damages.

"It is right that those who suffer the effects of asbestos as a result of our industrial past are able to claim for damages and we will introduce a bill before recess as we promised to right this wrong."

However, an insurance industry source said:

"Everyone agrees that people with serious asbestos-related illnesses like mesothelioma should be compensated as quickly as possible. Insurers do this. But the medical community, and the House of Lords, agree that pleural plaques are symptomless, cause no harm to those who have them and do not lead to the development of any other asbestos-related medical conditions."

The bill is expected to pass without problems as it is supported by both Labour and the Liberal Democrats. There is speculation that the passing of the bill will increase the pressure on Gordon Brown to challenge the Law Lords ruling in the rest of the United Kingdom.