A report on WebWire Tuesday, April 8, 2008, says United Kingdom Prime Minister Gordon Brown has been called upon to intervene regarding last October’s ruling regarding compensation for workers diagnosed with pleural plaques.

The House of Lords decision eliminated compensation for people diagnosed with pleural plaques after being negligently exposed to asbestos at work, the story reports. Pleural plaques are a scarring of the lungs causes by exposure to asbestos particles, and can be a precursor to asbestosis or mesothelioma.

In the past, workers received compensation for pleural plaques, and could also receive additional compensation if they later developed mesothelioma or asbestosis.

The story reports that several Members of Parliament (MPs), along with trade union groups, have called for Brown to review questions raised in the House of Commons earlier this year about this issue.

Brown is quoted as saying, “Asbestosis and mesothelioma are terrible diseases, and all of us who have seen the effects they cause know that we have to do more to help the victims of those diseases. On pleural plaques, we are looking at the matter at this very moment.”

Brown expects to publish a consultation document on the matter very soon, and will meet with delegations representing both sides of the issue.

Tags: asbestos, asbestosis, meso, mesothelioma, pleural plaques, UK, United Kingdom

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