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The Scottish government's decision to allow workers to sue for pleural plaque asbestos compensation is continuing to cause cross-border tension, with the SNP accusing Westminster of refusing to say how much the pleural plaques decision will cost the Scottish Government.
The problem stems from the fact that if Westminster decides to subsidise the cost it is thought that pleural plaques asbestos compensation claims will cost Edinburgh less than £100,000. However, if Westminster chooses not to absorb the cost, Holyrood could end up having to pay tens of millions of pounds.
Fergus Ewing, the Scottish government's community safety minister, comments, "I am obviously concerned that we have not yet received a meaningful response from the UK government, despite repeated requests to them to clarify if they will invoke the Statement of Funding Policy.
"We cannot imagine that the UK departments, notably the MoD and BERR (the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform) would wish to shirk their legal responsibility to pay due compensation to those who havepleural plaques, particularly those who have worked in shipyards. It would be irresponsible to deny these people justice."
Many former asbestos workers are angry that the government has decided that it will not allow asbestos compensation to be paid to pleural plaques sufferers in England and Wales.
A leading personal injury solicitor comments on Westminster's seemingly intransigent position, "If the MoD recklessly exposed workers to asbestos, why should they be exempt when these workers develop pleural plaques?"
He added, "Legislation is desperately needed by victims of pleural plaques, who have to live with the terrible fear of developing fatal cancers like mesothelioma."
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