MPs urge asbestos company to pay £10m to fund cancer research | cancer

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MPs and peers have written to one of the largest manufacturers of asbestos asking it to donate £10m to mesothelioma research for “knowingly putting people at risk”.

In a letter to Al Trad, Cape’s parent company, the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Occupational Safety and Health said documents released after a protracted court battle show Cape has historically “gave misleading reassurances about the dangers of asbestos”.

MPs and peers also say the documents show Cape has “damaged the government’s regulatory response to asbestos” by selectively sharing sampling data on carcinogens and pushing for increased dust limits and toned down product warnings.

After the release of the documents, which Cape resisted, and taking the case to the High Court, the UK’s Asbestos Victims Support Groups (AVSG) forum campaigned for the company to make a £10m donation towards mesothelioma research. In a letter to Altrad CEO Ran Oren, APPG urged him to accede to the request, noting that in 1969 Cape’s medical team had advised that fatal cancer could be caused by “brief and possibly small” exposure and that “no type of asbestos has been proven patent.” .

Labor MP Ian Lavery, chair of APPG, and other group members say: “Knowing the links between the products your company makes, Cape’s role in putting more people at risk, and the devastating consequences, we appeal to your company to make this donation. Mesothelioma is always terminal, Britain It has the highest rates anywhere in the world.

“Your company has played a major role in exposing people to the toxic substance, while at the same time making a profit at their expense. Your contribution to medical research may help compensate the victims of asbestos disease.”

The letter says that according to reports published last year, Cape Intermediate Holdings Limited had net assets of £151.5m in 2021 and the cruiser made a net profit of €169m (£148m), so the companies have ample resources to pay 10 million pounds sterling.”

The letter is followed by a letter from TUC to Altrad urging it to also donate £10m. She noted that 80% of schools that responded to a government survey said their buildings contain asbestos, so, TUC said, children are also affected.

A spokesperson for Kip said: “Kipp understands the unfortunate legacy of asbestos on people’s health. She will be engaging with the AVSG to show how it and other stakeholders can support victims of asbestos-related illnesses beyond the support already provided through the Victims Compensation Fund – Arrangement Scheme.”

They said the company had already paid out more than £48m to individuals and families affected by its previous activities under the scheme, adding: “It is important to stress that the material referred to extends to certain extracts from thousands of documents dating back some 60-70 years. The current administration has not reviewed these documents and cannot comment on the accuracy of the allegations either individually or in the context of facts and circumstances from the 1950s and early 1960s.”

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