Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help reduce the number of people dying from asbestos related diseases.

There is no cure for asbestosis, as the damage to the lungs is irreversible. The National Health Service may recommend pulmonary rehabilitation for people with asbestosis or, for more severe cases, oxygen therapy if they have low levels of oxygen in their blood

People with chronic respiratory diseases, such as asbestosis, are one of the groups offered vaccinations under the national influenza vaccination programme.

The NHS announced the first new mesothelioma treatment to be approved in nearly 15 years in July 2022. At the time of approval, the life-extending treatment, combining nivolumab and ipilimumab, was estimated to benefit around 1,000 patients in England each year.

In Great Britain, the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 are in place to protect workers from asbestos exposure. These regulations require duty holders to assess whether asbestos is present in their buildings, the condition it is in and to draw up a plan to manage the risk associated with asbestos, including removal if it cannot be safely managed in place.