asked the Secretary of State for Social Services in how many cases, from 1967 to date, death certificates were issued recording death from mesothelioma; how many additions to the mesothelioma register have been made over the same period; and how many people in either group received disability benefit.

The number of deaths in Great Britain where the certified cause on the death certificate contained mention of mesothelioma were as follows:

1969	…	…	120
1970	…	…	169
1971	…	…	165
1972	…	…	187
1973	…	…	201
1974	…	…	196
1975	…	…	252
1976	…	…	289

Figures are not available for 1967 and 1968. A new procedure was used to identify these deaths in 1976. Figures for earlier years are now thought to be slightly understated.I am informed that the additions for Great Britain to the mesothelioma register, which is maintained by the Health and Safety Executive, are as follows:

1967	…	…	148
1968	…	…	207
1969	…	…	195
1970	…	…	224
1971	…	…	204
1972	…	…	229
1973	…	…	229
1974	…	…	260
1975	…	…	276
1976	…	…	314

These figures, which are correct as at the moment, are liable to adjustment from tme to time as a result of the methods of collection.I regret, in relation to the third part of the Question, that information is not available in the form requested. However, awards of disablement benefit for mesothelioma from 1967 to 1976 under the industrial injuries provisions of the Social Security Act and from 1970 to 1976 under the Pneumoconiosis, Byssinosis and Miscellaneous Diseases Benefit Scheme totalled 291.