NO-FAULT COMPENSATION SCHEME FOR ASBESTOS VICTIMS

Early day motion 143, tabled 20 December 2000 by Michael Clapham (Labour). Signed by 92 members.

That this House is determined to secure a no-fault compensation scheme for the victims of asbestos-related diseases to bring to an end the unreasonable situation in which victims have to run the gauntlet of adversarial and expensive litigation where legal costs can be out of all proportion to the modest damages awarded; considers that with good will on all sides, common ground could be found to enable a no-fault comprehensive asbestos compensation scheme to be established; and calls on Her Majesty's Government to facilitate employers, insurers, trades unions, lawyers and all other organisations concerned with the consequences of exposure to asbestos to work with urgency to devise an appropriate scheme, but should this not prove possible call for the introduction of a statutory no-fault compensation scheme.

Signatures by party: Labour 73, Liberal Democrat 9, Labour/Co-operative 8, Plaid Cymru 1, UUP 1.