But no one should think that asbestos is yesterday s problem - there are still millions of tonnes of this fatal fibre in cement sheets, lagging for pipes and boilers, brake linings and other products. We can only stem the current epidemic if we take action today. We must make sure that people at work are protected from asbestos exposure. I fully support the TUC's campaign for a global ban on asbestos, for a public register of asbestos in buildings and for full compensation for victims. Now its whereabouts must be identified, and where it exists in a dangerous condition it needs to be removed safely by experts under controlled conditions.
Asbestos is a naturally occurring fibre often used as a fire retardant.
Its effect on health has been known for over a century, but unions have had to fight every inch of the way to get its use restricted, leading eventually to a UK and European ban on the importation, sale or new use of all forms of asbestos in 1999.