Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what recent data they have compiled on the incidence of mesothelioma among former members of the armed forces; and what percentage of the total annual number of deaths from this disease occur amongst former servicemen.

Between 1 April 2003 (the earliest date for which the Department holds electronic information) and 30 September 2016, 761 ex-Service personnel registered a claim for mesothelioma through the War Pensions Scheme (WPS) which was subsequently awarded.

Of the 761 awarded claimants 721 had since deceased. For those 721 claimants who are deceased, information on their cause of death is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

No calculations have been made by the Ministry of Defence on the percentage of the total number of deaths from this disease amongst former Service personnel. However, the Health and Safety Executive's most recent publication on Mesothelioma Mortality in Great Britain from 1968 to 2014 (including by broad types of occupation) is enclosed and can be found at: http://www.hse.gov.uk/STATISTICS/causdis/mesothelioma/mesothelioma.pdf