Plural-plaque ruling postponedThousands of people seeking to make an asbestos-related industrial disease claim have been put on hold by the Government.
It follows a Law Lords' decision in 2007 that compensation need no longer be paid to sufferers of pleural plaques, and which refused them leave to take legal action.
This prompted a campaign urging the Ministry of Justice to overturn the ruling, which justice secretary Jack Straw has now said needs further consideration.
Pleural plaques are a scarring of the lungs caused by exposure to potentially deadly asbestos fibres, and are linked to an increased risk of developing fatal cancers.
A Ministry of Justice spokesman said: 'The House of Lords decision has raised extremely complex and difficult issues which have required very careful consideration within Government. It has also been important to look beyond the issue of pleural plaques itself to consider how people who have been exposed to asbestos can be supported much more widely.
'We are actively considering all these issues in order to be in a position to publish a final response after the summer recess.'
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