All Party Parliamentary Group on Occupation Safety and Health examines legacy of Cape plc
On 24 March 2025 the All Party Parliamentary Group on Occupation Safety and Health had a public hearing in the Palace of Westminster.
Posted on 06 April 2025
The purpose of the hearing was to establish the legacy of Cape plc, one of the largest manufacturers and distributors of asbestos products in the world. The hearing comprised a panel of MPs and Lords led by Ian Lavery MP.
Harminder Bains, partner and joint head of asbestos and industrial disease was invited to give evidence together with Tony Whitston, John Flanagan, Nevyn Stevenson , representing the Asbestos Victims Support Groups Forum UK, experts Dr Robin Rudd, Prof Peter Szlosarek, Christopher Chambers, and former manager and director of Cape plc Peter Gartside.
Together they had a wealth of knowledge to present to the panel.
The hearing was called due to Cape plc’s refusal to pay £10 million to fund medical research to find a cure for mesothelioma.
The forum requested this sum to be paid to Asthma & Lung UK who are experienced in conducting large-scale medical trials.
The forum took advice from eminent medical experts who advised that the sum of £10m would be transformational and is desperately needed to find a cure for asbestos disease which is the leading cause of workplace deaths in the UK.
Read the oral and written evidence which was submitted to the panel.
Ran Oren, the director of Cape plc and SEO of Altrad, Cape’s parent company was invited to attend the hearing but rejected the opportunity to provide any evidence.
Harminder Bains
Joint head of the asbestos and industrial diseases, internationally renowned for her role fighting for victims of asbestos
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