The Government now faces growing pressure to complete a full assessment of the risk from asbestos in schools.
Quotes:
Lord Justice Sedley -
"...where asbestos is involved, a risk of exposure is a risk of harm."
Annette Brooke, MP and chairwoman of the parliamentary asbestos in schools group -
"We have been pushing for an assessment of the asbestos risks to children, and this judgment, we feel, is going to give us the clout to get one."
Michael Lees, founder of the Asbestos Exposure in Schools campaign group -
"The ruling has profound implications."
Husband of the deceased claimant -
"If her case helps others get justice more easily that has to be a good thing"
Knowsley council -
"It has always been clear that Mrs Willmore suffered from a severe illness which was caused by exposure to asbestos and the council is, and always has been, extremely sympathetic towards Mrs Willmore and her family."
Christine Blower, general secretary of the National Union of Teachers -
"It has been known for many years that children are more vulnerable than adults to the effects of asbestos exposure, even at low levels. In the last 10 years, 140 teachers have died of mesothelioma. If teachers are dying from their exposure, inevitably pupils will die too in later life. Because of the long latency period, however, there are no records of adults who have died because of childhood exposure."
Coverage: The Guardian http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2011/mar/09/asbestos-school-compensation-dianne-willmoreThe BBC http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-merseyside-12686641Channel 4 (Dead link)Supreme Court Press Release http://www.asbestosexposureschools.co.uk/pdfnewslinks/supreme%20court%20summary.pdf
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