Document 5XROjg8QJ1ro6g6oND4Qv0R8

Ccrvlttoo >*ogiftn>p 22nd n^con'ocr 1*164 Tho .lahqgtorts ?ttnd Itaport for tho j*aer to JOth Sontcnbor 1964 As tha Ccumitteo will bo aware, tho financial liability of tho Fund is now limited to moating tho coat of weakly payments of compensation to tho remaining pra-Aet caaes and to providing for such terminal lump sum payments as any occur on tha doath of tha claimants. ' At tho Soard Joeting hold on 21at February 1952 (Minute So.9731) it t;u agreod that the Unit Companies themselves should bear tha cost of Common law claims so as to enable tho Asbostosis Fxmd to be wound up as soon as the outstanding claims had boon finally disposed of. The balance of the Fund at 30th Septacber 1964, after deducting tha 27,200 which it was decided in l?ol to transfer to Bavenua, is how 13,371, this amount being available to seer seminal payments to the dependants of the remaining 17 cases of tha Chit Companies shown beLow:- T. 3 Co d. J.r.fl.Lcd. NM.A C.Co.ltd. T.A.C.Co.ltd. l?o. of Current ____Claims- e 5 1 v. It would bo sufficient to retain in tha Fund sons .-S, 000 .against tha above claims, and tha views c*" the _ Committee will be sought on whether a further Cll.QC' fei^ht no-t conveniently be transferred to Seve&ua. " - Asheatosis Clairs In 07 report last year X 'referred to si;: clains brought against H.1.Co.ltd. , four in Belfast and two in Glasgow. I an glad to say that three of the Belfast cases have been settled, although one sore hascone.into the list, and or.e of the Glasgow cases has been settled. Cn the other side of the picture the year has been marked by two rather sinister developments. The first is that it has now became widely, known that tha medical profess have established a causal connection between asbestosis and carcinoma of the lung. This is a factor which inevitably makes settlements both more difficult end more expensive esreciallv where, as in Bolz'ast, cases normally come besore a jury. ' The second development is the establishment of and the wide publicity given to the fact that a type of care .com known as a mesothelioma, ib cue to exposure to the dust 0. '^etdoiite fibre. Contd ,'-fVr B * V^' 'r.y Turror A N>vcil tip?itftd ` Chn^fman n Ccrw.itte.i' XftftM`.n>f 2:2nd n.>cr.rr.hgr 10V>* * Tho Ashostoris Fund Baport for tho year to 30th 5optcr.ber 1264 As the Cc.r.rr.ittoo will bo avaro, the financial liability of tho Fund is now limited to mooting the cost of wookly payments of compensation to tho remaining pre-Act cases and to providing for such terminal lump sum payments as may oocur on tho doath of the claimants. At tho Board wr i~!` Mooting held on 21st February 1952 (Minute N0.9731) it was agreed that the Unit Companies themselves should boar the cost of Common law claims so as to onablo tho Asbestosis Fund to be wound up as soon as the outstanding claims had & boon finally disposed of* The balance of the Fund at 30th Soptembor 1964, after deducting'tho 27*200 which it was decided in 1961 to '*; transfer to Revenue, is rev; 18,371, this amount being fvV. available to moot terminal paymor.tc to the dopondants of vs: the remaining 17 casos of tho Unit ni js shown belows- t: ii;r:wit,. 133.1., ' T.3,A.Co.ltd. J. V.n.ltd. K. X.ft C.Co.Ltd. T.A.C.Ce.Ltd* h?o. of Current Claims' fe*-4 ` v Xt would bo sufficient to retain in the Fund come -pj 8,000 against tho above claims, tr.d the views e? the '.afh.Coaaittee will be sought or. whether a further 10, O'*" might '.{Sfnot conveniently bt transferred to Sevov.ua. ' fa-gabestesia Claims .`tTj*;. . . ' . - In r.y report last year I roferr.\ ro sa.c n\ tins ^.brought against M.I.Co.Ltd., four in Be If/..; uvs. ':w, . 'JWClaagov. I fn glad to say that three of vi.o 2 jifa,* +.ta& &b*ve boon co*tlod, although one more ha* coma into v.t list. ^sAd one of the Glasgow or.soa has boon'settled. * M- Or..ti*'V ether side of tho picturo the yoar h.- been .^aarhod by two rather sinioter developments, The fir- is has now become widely known that the ntdioal y ofossion "<V*v established s causal connection botveen a t'cesto/i4 and .fcS^cinoma of tho lung. This is a factor vhl.it. inevitably Vf5*b*a settlements both mere difficult and more enponelvo ;|^*fiially where, as in Belfast) casos normally coma beforo ,, . Tho rocond development is tho establishment of and IV'fu** vide publicity given to tho fact that a typo of carcinoma, ** * mcr.)*:^lior.t, ir duo to oxposuro to tho dust of ^5cidolito fib**, 1 m.- ^.t- '^ a ' '<} r '' ". `' *' mAUM : ' *. . ^u"-' f\: V*? -'%*' a! * v '/.v :.+* . i .. ' * ":W.< \ '\ k Already we have had onnuirioe in one ease about >' , .10 uso of bluo fihro at Forodo, Zt is said that bluo , fihro van used exporimontally in the thirtios, but at tho moment thore appears to bo no ovldonoo that the man concornod wan over involved* This, however, may become a claim, Tho present position as regards claims is as follows*- . K.I.Co.Ltd. Belfast Much Lomn. This claim was by a widow and was settled for a figure of 1,500 which inoludod a not loss of varos of 900* Here the possibility of a technical dofenco under the Limitation Acts holpod to keep the figure dorm* . * Ooorrro Lowry. Thin man was incapacitated by asbostosis at tho age of 57 and his case was settled for 3,250 which included a net loss of wages to date of 1,350 and contin uing on a basis of 12* 4* 7* a week* ' William Bullock. This man was also oomplotoly incapaoitatsd but at the ago of 48* This oase was settled for 3,500 which, in the circumstances, compares very favourably with the case of George Lowry* ' V. J. Locke. This man originally worked for field Wacfarlane and after a gap of several years joinod Kowalls in 1939 working for them almost eontinually until 1955* Ke has been cortlfled by the Pneumoconiosis panel but has not aotually made a olaim. In the current climate in Belfast it is thought almost inevitable that he will and that it will have to be settled on the same sort of basis as.Lowry and Bullook* Clasrow pavld Todd, This case is almost exaetly parallel with those of Bullook and LoVry and as in those two oases Todd too was represented by the Transport A Cenoral Workers Union* Ke wee a long-term employee of Kewalle end hie record of sorvloe was very typioal of an employee in the insulation industry. There must have been some laok of liaison in the T.A O.V.U* btoause this oase was sottled for 1,000 a fsw weeks before Bullook and Lowry's oases were set down for hearing in Belfast, ' Thomas flear/rent*, This is another vory typioal ease of a an who had worked in the Industry and entirely for N.I.Co.Ltd. *lnee 1928# The oase was dormant at the time of my report last year but proceedings have now boon oommeneod. It is too early to make any predietion about the outcome but at * least the most recent precedent in Olaegow is reasonably /. favourable, ' ,, , ondot gdwnrd Thomas Ueed1 Thore have boon no dovolopmonte in this co*e sinoo my report last yoar. Wood is roprosontsd by a vll-kr.flwn firm of London Solicitors so that one may expoot ' 'he claim to be proseed. ITo had only done yoars with *evaii and was engaged on goneral insulation work, but it ' '** Known that ho oomo from Cork Insulation and is thought previously to have boon employed by Cape, (~~t u "l X\ t1 V 1! vh >/* ? , : :v.* V'! 1 Vaphin^ton Arthur Smith, This is a claim by tho vidots of a nan vho had vorkod far Kowalls uith on oVj*---. brook since 1923 on a variety of lobs oonnoetort with iu&* Nation* Tho olais has not yet progressed vary far but it is specifically for carcinoma of tho lung assoclatod with his work. Aj nrumpnt.. This is a olein by r.an vho worked at Analey from 1$H$ to 1956 partly as a mattress maker and partly as a epinner. The olein has not progressed vary far but nsnttress asking is known to have boon a serious source of danger and tho claim may be difficult to resist. J 3. Hirst. Thie rmn woe a chort-tern employee engaged on spray work* Tho olaia la suspoot and is being strongly resisted.. l?th December, l$Gk A. D. X. JONSS