The Group holds regular monthly sessions on the last Wednesday of every month at Barking Town Hall, to offer advice and support to asbestos sufferers and their families

. These sessions will be relatively informal with the chance to have a cup of tea and a chat. Advisers will be on hand to help people with compensation claims, provide contacts, fill in forms and help liaise with the Benefits Agency.  

Solicitors will be available to offer free legal advice and help with obtaining benefits. 

 

As many people’s exposure to asbestos took place some years ago, it is hoped that a network of sufferers and co-workers will be established which will help to trace witnesses for individual compensation claims. 

2007 Meetings

The date of the next meetings will be Wednesday
24th January, Wednesday 28th February and Wednesday 28th March at Barking town hall from 3.30pm - 6pm
Barking and Dagenham Asbestos Awareness Meeting

 

The Barking and Dagenham Asbestos Victims Support Group held a meeting at Barking Town Hall on 21 September 2005 to draw attention to the proposed £40m victims’ fund that Cape Plc, the former asbestos manufacturer, has proposed to set up as an alternative to the company being directly liable for claims against them.

 

Cape operated a factory in Barking between 1931 and the late 1960’s resulting in wide scale asbestos exposure to employees, their families and local residents.  The area now suffers from the highest incidents of female mesothelioma, the asbestos lung cancer, in the UK and the 10th highest for men after ship-building regions.  The more unfortunate in the area have died from asbestosis and asbestos related lung cancers.

 

Concern has been growing since March 2005 when Cape announced their intention to establish a separate company, Cape Claims Services (CCS) to deal with claims for asbestos disease with an established fund of £40m that could be topped up when necessary.  Support groups, solicitors, politicians and other interested parties have voiced fears over the establishment of the fund following Cape’s Chairman’s admission that the Scheme would be a “significant de-risking for Cape and removes a significant obstacle to the Group’s growth”.  The most significant fear that has been raised is that the £40m fund will be insufficient to pay all of Cape’s present and future asbestos liabilities.  There is particular concern over the fact that it appears that Cape itself will have discretion over how and when the fund is topped up.

 

Cape has now agreed to postpone their timetable to allow asbestos support groups, including the Barking & Dagenham group, to obtain more information and professional advice on the scheme so that they will be in a position to advise victims on whether or not they should vote in favour of Cape’s proposals.  

 

Local resident Brian Filby, spoke about the devastation to his own family from the effects of asbestos disease and brought home the devastating impact of Cape’s presence in the area.

 

Tom Jones, one of the specialist solicitors who advises the group, highlighted the fact that there is no obligation on companies to register their insurance details at Companies House.  Although employer’s liability insurance has been compulsory since 1972 many asbestos victims are unable to pursue claims because companies have gone out of business and it is not possible to trace the insurers who provided cover at the time the exposure took place.

 

Margaret Hodge, MP for Barking and Employment Minister also attended the meeting and commented on the effect of asbestos in Barking.  In particular she stated that she was happy look into the issue of companies not being required to register their insurance details.  

 

 

As many people's exposure to asbestos took place some years ago, it is hoped that a network of sufferers and co-workers will be established which will help to trace witnesses for individual compensation claims.