Parliamentary hearing on Cape, a leading manufacturer of asbestos products –24 March 2025
Asbestos remains the largest cause of work-related deaths in Britain, over 5,000 every year.
The hearing was to examine the legacy of Cape Holdings Ltd and the other Cape companies, leading manufacturers of asbestos products, now owned by Altrad with evidence on the long-standing impact of asbestos, including its continued threat to the lives of workers and public health. Note that Ran Oren, the Chief Executive of Altrad and sole Director of Cape Intermediate Holdings Ltd, refused to attend.
The hearing follows a legal case in the Supreme Court in 2019, brought by the Asbestos Victims Support Groups’ Forum in which Cape was forced to disclose documents which proved that, from the 1960s, Cape deliberately withheld evidence on the risks to life that their asbestos projects posed. The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Occupational Safety and Health have called for Cape to contribute £10 million towards mesothelioma research.
The panel was made up of the following Parliamentarians, Ian Lavery MP (Chair), Christine Jardine MP, John Glen MP, Lord John Hendy KC (a former barrister), Baroness Frances O’Grady (former General Secretary of the TUC) and Baroness Finlay of Llandaff (a professor of palliative care).
The first speaker was Dr Robin Rudd who is a leading asbestos medical expert who has given evidence in trials, including cases against Cape. There is an increasing number of cases coming in, a noticeable move in cases form people working with asbestos to those who have merely worked in a building that has asbestos in some form within it. At times can feel despair when Cape are still being given UK Government contracts. Cape knew of the dangers but actively prevented test result information being released to the public, there is no doubt that they knew their products were responsible for causing grave illnesses. The intention of the £10m would be to give independent grants, selected by a panel of experts, open competition going to the best groups so they are not scrambling for money each year, they can embark on a longer term planned study.
Tony Whitston and Nevyn Stevenson from Asbestos Victims Support Groups Forum UK both made short statements they answered questions from the panel. Small amounts of money to research spread over many years is not making any difference to mesothelioma There was an offer, £3m spread over ten years, even that was with a list strings that could not be adhered to, the Forum does not have a say on what other organisations campaign on. Cape show no moral responsibility, far from it, they have withheld evidence and information, drip feeding it when legally pressed. Asbestos insulating board (AIB), known by the trade name Asbestolux, was widely used even after the dangers were known, unnecessarily creating the victims of the future. The panel noted and thanked the Forum and all the groups around the UK for the work in supporting asbestos victims and their families. John Flanagan later showed harrowing pictures of some of these victims.
Harminder Bains who is joint head of the asbestos and mesothelioma department at Leigh Day solicitors expressed disappointment in the behaviour and actions of Cape. Putting profit before safety led to the High Court ruling that enforced the released of documentation. There is an excellent BBC podcast (2) that should receive wide viewing “Assume Nothing – Killer Dust”. The NHS should not be paying the price when Cape made the profit.
Christopher Chambers is a former HSE Officer, now an expert on liability, writing reports for court about how products cause mesothelioma. Cape knew about their products being a major causational factor in mesothelioma illnesses as long ago as the late 1950s, other cancers such as the specifically named asbestosis were known back in the 1920s.
Professor Peter Szlosarek (2) is one of the countries most respected specialists in mesothelioma research. We need a critical mass of research, knowledge that can be exploited for anticancer therapy but there are exciting developments, and a breakthrough in the treatment of malignant pleural mesothelioma, a rare and often rapidly fatal form of cancer with limited therapeutic options. Asbestos exposure remains the biggest cause of work-related deaths in Britain, 5,000 people are dying each year from asbestos cancers linked to work exposure, including from mesothelioma. People have to have hope, we need the research to give them that hope.
Peter Gartside a former Managing Director at Cape and author of “Asbestos and Cape: A Tale of Three Stakeholders”. Cape produced market leading products Asbestolux and Marinite which amongst the most dangerous in causing life-threatening asbestos related disease, and in particular mesothelioma. Asbestolux remains in UK infrastructure and many buildings today.
The final speakers were Sarah Lyons and Michael Phillips Health and Safety, both are asbestos leads from NEU and NASUWT unions, providing a perspective on asbestos and education workers today. They have around half a million members impacted by Cape products in schools and the educational system – the ask for £10m investment in research is well justified. A recent case where a thirty seven year old female teacher died from mesothelioma highlights this. There are 18,000 schools affected, many are degrading due to age, this means asbestos fibre released will increase – as will the number of cases and victims.
- https://youtu.be/zWSkEbHC260
- https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/series/m0028jl4
- Pictures by AVSGUK https://asbestosforum.org.uk
Derek Maylor MAVSG 25 March 2025