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Dept for Work and Pensions

Answer

Mr. Clapham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many (a) teachers and (b) office workers were diagnosed to be suffering from (a) asbestosis and (b) mesothelioma in the last year for which figures are available. [174797] Jane Kennedy: Substantial exposures to asbestos are required in order for asbestosis to be clinically manifested within the lifetime of an individual. Teachers and office workers are very unlikely to have had such exposures during the course of their work. In 2003, 10 cases of asbestosis were identified by the Department for Work and Pensions Industrial Injuries and Disablement Benefit Scheme among occupational groups most likely to be predominantly office based. The coding of occupations is not of sufficient detail to specifically identify teachers from this data source. Reliable figures for the number of diagnoses of mesothelioma are not available. The disease is rapidly fatal in nearly all cases, and a good indication of the number of diagnoses is given by the annual number of deaths. In 2001 (the latest year for which figures are available) there were 14 mesothelioma deaths among teachers and 24 among office workers. However, death certificates record only the last occupation of the deceased. The typically long time between asbestos exposure and the onset of mesothelioma means that the occupation recorded may not be the one in which exposure took place.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

174797; 421 c1583-4W

Session

2003-04

Subjects

Cancer Asbestos Diagnosis Industrial diseases Mesothelioma Teachers Respiratory system Respiratory diseases Office workers

Contains statistics

Yes

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk