asked Her Majesty's Government:What is the number of cases of disablement by asbestosis and mesothelioma now accepted for payment of disablement benefit and whether in appropriate cases provisions exist for redemption by a lump sum payment.

At December 1982, the latest date for which figures are available, 1,278 claimants were in receipt of disablement benefit for asbestosis under the industrial injuries scheme. Comparable information about the number of cases of mesothelioma is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. No provisions exist for commutation of weekly benefit to a lump sum payment.