To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of people with pleural plaques; and if he will make a statement. (235486)

I have been asked to reply.

There is no definitive information on either the total number of people with confirmed diagnoses of pleural plaques, or those people who will ultimately develop pleural plaques. This is largely due to the asymptomatic nature of pleural plaques, as well as its long latency.