PRESS RELEASE

November 6th, 2008

Asbestos justice a step closer, says MSP

Plans for a new law that will compensate people for past exposure to asbestos have passed the first hurdle.

A bill going through the Scottish Parliament aims to overturn a House of Lords ruling which said damages could not be claimed for pleural plaques, a benign scarring of the lungs.

It was backed by MSPs this week at its first stage and will now go on to the next stage of scrutiny.

Duncan McNeil, MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, took part in the debate and was delighted with the cross-party support it received.

He said: “The Scottish Parliament has a proud record of defending the rights of those who suffer from asbestos-related conditions.

“In my own area of Greenock and Inverclyde, the legacy of asbestos is one we know all too well and it is only fair that people get what they are due.

“Unfortunately, we have had to endure insurance companies who will try every trick in the book to avoid paying up.

“This bill could go some way to ending the humiliation victims are going through at the hands of the insurance companies and allow them to get the compensation they deserve.

“This won’t make it easy for people to get what they are owed but hopefully it will make it less difficult.”

ENDS