Scotland acts on asbestos payouts

A bill to compensate workers affected by past exposure to asbestos has been published by the Scottish government.

The legislation would overturn a House of Lords ruling last year, which found that damages could not be claimed for pleural plaques, a benign scarring of the lungs.

Unions and hazards campaigners have welcomed the bill. Harry Frew of the UCATT construction union hoped that parliament would bring in similar legislation “to rewrite the disgraceful decision of the Law Lords”.