The next item of business is a members’ business debate on motion S6M-17647, in the name of Marie McNair, on action mesothelioma day 2025. The debate will be concluded without any question being put. I invite members who wish to speak in the debate to press their request-to-speak buttons.
Motion debated,
That the Parliament recognises Action Mesothelioma Day 2025, which is on 4 July 2025; understands that mesothelioma is a rare cancer that is usually caused by exposure to asbestos, with tiny fibres getting into the lungs and damaging them over time; notes that the cancer most commonly occurs in the lining of the lung, but can also occur in the lining of the abdomen and the lining of the heart, with symptoms including shortness of breath, chest pain, coughing and tiredness; understands that there are around 2,700 new mesothelioma cases in the UK every year, including around 200 in Scotland; recognises that Action Mesothelioma Day is a national event to raise awareness of asbestos and mesothelioma, raise vital funds to support the research into tackling mesothelioma, and to remember and support those who have been affected by the disease; notes with concern what it sees as the time bar injustice for mesothelioma victims and welcomes the Scottish Law Commission report, Report on Damages for Personal Injury, published in December 2024, which recommends that “an asymptomatic condition such as pleural plaques will no longer result in a time bar preventing recovery of damages for a later-developing symptomatic condition such as mesothelioma”; applauds the long-standing and ongoing work of the Clydebank Asbestos Group, which has provided information and support to people with asbestos-related conditions for over 30 years; notes the calls for continued research into mesothelioma, and hopes for a successful Action Mesothelioma Day 2025.
12:48
I am pleased to lead, for a fourth year, the debate on action mesothelioma day. Members will know the huge importance of the issue to me and my constituents. The debate is an important chance to raise awareness of this cruel disease and to highlight where we still need to push for action.
I thank colleagues from across the chamber for supporting my motion and for speaking in the debate. The issue deserves cross-party support, so it is very welcome that that has been achieved.
I ask everyone to join me in welcoming people from Clydebank Asbestos Group and Asbestos Action to our national Parliament. It really means a lot to have them here to support today’s event. Both groups have been assisting asbestos victims for many years and have campaigned relentlessly for truth and justice. Clydebank Asbestos Group, which I am grateful to have a close working relationship with, has been working hard for my constituents for the past 33 years, and is always there for victims and their families at the time of greatest need. I am so appreciative to have the group in my constituency, and I will be forever grateful to it for the work that it does.
Mesothelioma is a cancer that is usually caused by exposure to asbestos fibres. I congratulate ActionMeso and all the support groups up and down the country on their efforts to raise awareness of the disease.
Unfortunately, since our previous meso debate, we have sadly lost our amazing volunteer Kate Ferrier, on Hogmanay last year. Kate was a volunteer with Clydebank Asbestos Group for more than five years and, shortly after joining, took up the post of secretary. Kate’s passing is a huge loss and she will be incredibly missed by all who knew her. Kate chose to volunteer with CAG when she retired, and was drawn to the charity because of her support for her father, following a diagnosis of an asbestos-related disease. I am so grateful for Kate’s dedication and commitment to supporting victims of asbestos exposure and their families over many years.
Clydebank, which is my home town and part of my constituency, has an appalling asbestos legacy. It was once described as the mesothelioma capital of Europe. That is why action mesothelioma day is so important to my constituents and our town. Held this year on 4 July, it is a national event to raise awareness of asbestos and mesothelioma, to raise vital funds to support research into tackling mesothelioma and to remember and support those who have been impacted by the disease.
In last year’s debate, I highlighted the disgraceful three-year time bar that has denied justice for those who receive a diagnosis of mesothelioma. That time bar means that, if a person is diagnosed with pleural plaques—a usually asymptomatic condition—they have three years to raise a claim for damages, even if they later develop mesothelioma. That is an appalling injustice, so it is welcome that the Scottish Law Commission has published a report on the issue, which recommends resolving the pleural plaques time bar problem so that an asymptomatic condition such as pleural plaques will no longer result in a time bar preventing recovery of damages for a later developing symptomatic condition such as mesothelioma.
The potential for people to be denied justice because of the three-year time bar has no place in a just compensation system, which is why I have secured a meeting with Clydebank Asbestos Group and the Minister for Victims and Community Safety, Siobhian Brown, to progress the issue. We want the Scottish Government to implement the recommendations as soon as possible, because justice delayed is justice denied.
My partnership with Clydebank Asbestos Group is strong and has shared goals in the campaign for truth and justice on issues such as a more compassionate and responsive social security system compared with the system previously provided by the Department for Work and Pensions, and the phased removal of asbestos from public buildings, starting with schools. I am firmly on CAG’s side in support of the Cape must pay campaign. Never has there been a stronger example of greed for private profit being put before the safety of workers. Unfortunately, that is the motivating factor in so many cases of asbestos exposure and the exploitation of workers. The campaign demands that Cape Intermediate Holdings, which is owned by Altrad, donates £10 million to mesothelioma research.
Cape Intermediate Holdings was one of the largest asbestos companies in the world and was reported to have played a large part in the increase of asbestos-related diseases and mortality across the UK. After a lengthy court battle, documents were obtained proving that Cape hid the true dangers of its asbestos products in the 1960s and 1970s, resulting in many people dying. Altrad has a moral obligation to right some of that wrong, and donating to research would be a good start. It has so far refused to meet those demands, but Clydebank Asbestos Group has been pushing forward tirelessly with the campaign. It recently attended protests at the rugby world cup, which featured two teams that were sponsored by Altrad.
Along with Clydebank Asbestos Group, I will continue to push to see justice achieved from Cape. The time is now to support victims. They cannot wait any longer, because time is not on their side. I will soon bring a motion to Parliament on the issue, with wording agreed with the Clydebank Asbestos Group and other campaigners. I hope that, like the motion today, it will receive the widest possible cross-party support. Action mesothelioma day serves as a chance to commemorate all those who have been lost to this cruel disease. In Clydebank, we have the international asbestos memorial, which sits in the centre of Clydebank, in Truth and Justice Square.
Clydebank Asbestos Group recently opened an online memorial, which was launched on international workers memorial day. The online memorial is open to anyone who would like to commemorate a loved one who has died from an asbestos-related illness. That is such a great way to remember those we have lost, and I commend the group for it.
We must deal with asbestos on all fronts, and we must support those who are diagnosed with mesothelioma and other asbestos-related illnesses by offering help when it is needed. I promise that I will continue to do everything in my power to work to achieve everything that we can in our fight for truth and justice.
12:55
I thank Marie McNair for bringing today’s debate to the chamber, marking action mesothelioma day 2025. I commend her long-standing commitment to this deeply important cause.
On 4 July, we will once again pause to reflect, raise awareness and, crucially, demand action. Mesothelioma is a cruel and relentless disease. It is relatively rare, yes, but it is far from irrelevant. It is a cancer that is caused almost entirely by exposure to asbestos—those invisible fibres that embed themselves in lungs, silently wreaking havoc over decades.
As we have heard, there are currently around 200 cases annually in Scotland, but behind every statistic is a family, a community and, often, a story of unnecessary suffering. Tragically, the face of mesothelioma is changing. Once it was seen largely in men who worked in heavy industry, such as shipyards, power stations and construction, but now there are more women, more young people and more individuals from non-traditional sectors—teachers, hospital workers and people in clerical roles—who have been exposed unknowingly and often decades ago.
I want to recognise the work of Action on Asbestos, which was formerly Clydeside Action on Asbestos. It is a remarkable organisation that has, for more than 30 years, stood by those affected, not just with practical support and legal advice—although it does that tirelessly—but by working directly with NHS Scotland, funding specialist nurses and vital research to improve treatment and outcomes. The work is not only compassionate but critical.
Turning to the issue of the time bar in relation to asbestos-related conditions, although the Damages (Asbestos-related Conditions) (Scotland) Act 2009 rightly recognises that asymptomatic conditions such as pleural plaques, pleural thickening and asymptomatic asbestosis are actionable harms, we still face a serious problem. Under the current law, a person who has already claimed for an asbestos-related condition may find themselves barred from seeking further damages if they later develop mesothelioma, which is an incurable and life-limiting cancer.
In recognition of that issue, the Scottish Law Commission in its December 2024 report recognised that, and I put on the record my thanks to it for its comprehensive work on the issue. The recommendation is crystal clear: asymptomatic conditions should not trigger the time bar for the later development of symptomatic conditions. I believe that that is a vital step towards fairness, and I welcome it.
I have spoken to the Government on that issue, and there is a need—perhaps even a duty—to consider whether a legislative amendment or regulatory action is required to address that loophole and ensure that those living with mesothelioma are not penalised by legal technicalities. I ask the minister to consider meeting me and Marie McNair to discuss how we can progress the matter. Those affected do not have the luxury of time. They deserve dignity, clarity and justice.
I close by paying tribute once again to Clydebank Asbestos Group, Action on Asbestos and every campaigner who has fought so hard, often while battling illness. Let action mesothelioma day 2025 not be just a day of remembrance; let it be a day of renewed resolve to right the wrongs of the past and protect future generations from a legacy that should never have been theirs and ours.
12:59
I thank Marie McNair for bringing such an important topic to the chamber. Action mesothelioma day is dedicated to raising awareness of a devastating disease that has affected many lives in Scotland and beyond.
In 2022, there were 2,257 mesothelioma deaths in the United Kingdom, with a significant number occurring in Scotland. Scotland’s industrial history, particularly of shipbuilding and construction, has left a legacy of asbestos exposure, leading to high rates of mesothelioma. More than 70 per cent of such deaths occur in individuals aged over 75, which highlights the disease’s long latency period.
According to the Scottish mesothelioma network’s 2023 clinical audit report, the number of newly diagnosed mesothelioma patients in Scotland that year was 132, which represented an increase on the 127 patients identified in the 2022 audit. However, behind those numbers are real people and their families who are enduring immense suffering. Those people are not just statistics; mesothelioma is a painful reality for many. The symptoms are debilitating; the prognosis is often grim; and patients and their loved ones face physical, emotional and financial hardship.
The stories that we hear remind us of the urgent need for action and support. I have had the privilege of meeting organisations that specialise in mesothelioma, such as Clydebank Asbestos Group in my West Scotland region. The dedication of such organisations to supporting those affected by the condition is truly inspiring; they provide crucial services such as legal advice, emotional support and advocacy for better healthcare services, and their work ensures that patients and their families do not face the battle alone.
Clydebank Asbestos Group offers a lifeline to many. It assists people with navigating the complex legal landscape in order to secure compensation for victims; it runs support groups that provide a space for individuals to share their experiences and to find solace in a community that understands their struggles; and its advocacy efforts have led to improvements in healthcare policies and increased funding for research on the condition.
The group has called for the safe and urgent removal of asbestos from all public buildings, as there have been increases in the numbers of younger people and women being diagnosed with the condition. Some of those people never worked in the traditional industries that are usually associated with asbestos exposure; indeed, some are working in public buildings.
The group is also a strong advocate of the Cape must pay campaign, which aims to make Altrad Cape pay ÂŁ10 million towards research into the condition. Cape Intermediate Holdings was one of the largest asbestos companies in the world, and its asbestos products were widely used in construction. The campaign argues that those products lie at the heart of the epidemic of the condition in the UK.
However, the fight against mesothelioma requires more than just the efforts of dedicated organisations. We need a concerted effort by the Government to implement stricter regulations on asbestos and to fund research for better treatments. Public awareness campaigns are also essential in educating people about the dangers of asbestos and the importance of early detection.
Let us honour those who have lost their lives to mesothelioma by committing to action. Let us support the organisations that are making a difference and call on the Scottish Government to take stronger measures. Together, we can raise awareness, support those who are affected and work towards a future in which mesothelioma is no longer a threat.
13:04
I thank Marie McNair for bringing this important debate to the chamber. On behalf of Scottish Labour, I welcome action mesothelioma day 2025, which will be marked on 4 July. In my years in Parliament, I have been pleased to stand with Marie McNair and other members to play my part in raising awareness of this cruel condition, calling for further research and calling for the condition to be properly understood as an industrial injury.
Of course, as other speakers in the debate have said, we must ensure that proper compensation is afforded to sufferers and their families. Mesothelioma is a rare and hard-to-treat form of cancer. As stated in the motion, it is usually caused by exposure to asbestos. However, we also know, having debated the issue many times in the Parliament, that, despite asbestos having been banned more than a quarter of a century ago, many continued—and continue—to work in environments where it was and is present. Indeed, it is still found in buildings right across Scotland.
We must address the issue. With 2,700 new cases diagnosed every year in the UK, and 200 in Scotland, it remains of the utmost importance that we raise awareness of the symptoms of the illness and encourage people to be cautious and to get any symptoms checked. As with other forms of cancer, identifying the illness quickly can prolong life and ensure more pain-free management of a cruel disease.
I have known about the disease from a very young age, having grown up in a working-class mining community. According to the most up-to-date data that I could find about my home area in East Ayrshire, there were significant numbers of mesothelioma deaths between 1981 to 2019, as well as a continuation of deaths past that date, with the on-going impact of asbestos exposure. It is important that I, as a member who represents an area with a high rate of asbestos, ensure that we properly document the rates of illness and death, and I commit to doing so. The reality for the people in my area is that the industrial work—mainly mining—in the early part of the last century, and right up until the 1980s and 1990s, exposed men, in particular, to asbestos. However, as has been mentioned by other members, we know that secondary exposure through the washing of clothing, a job often undertaken by women, increased the risk to their health, too.
Many people who suffered exposure to asbestos during their working life have never received any serious compensation, often due to employers jumping through hoops to claim that the cause of their cancer cannot be properly proven. That is why the work of groups such as Clydebank Asbestos Group, Action on Asbestos and other community action groups is so important. Their fight against big business is second to none, and we must always recognise it. This condition, and others, have exposed the approach that big business and the insurance giants take to workers’ health, and we must make it clear that people are worth more and that working-class people—the men and women who have built and maintained our country—must be compensated, should their lives be impacted by or lost due to the nature of their work.
Of course, I welcome the Scottish Law Commission’s report, which was mentioned by Marie McNair. However, although it is an important step, I fear that there is more work to do, and I call on the minister to give us, as Marie McNair asked, some feedback so that we can keep fighting to get this right. It is important, too, that we keep fighting for proper compensation and—importantly—for proper health and safety in workplaces to ensure that the rights of workers are at the centre of all that we do.
13:08
I find it almost extraordinary that it has been about 18 years since I was first able to contribute to a debate on mesothelioma. That debate was led by Gil Paterson, Marie McNair’s predecessor in Clydebank, and at this point, I want to pay tribute to Clydebank Asbestos Group. Its sustained focus, and the fact that its members turn out in numbers when the condition is discussed, are quite remarkable and to be commended, as is the compassion that its members bring to the work and to the lives of those who subsequently suffer.
Is it not extraordinary that this is yet another of those conditions, such as aortic aneurysms or Duchenne muscular dystrophy, that seem, all too tragically, to have a home in Scotland? Of the 2,700 new cases diagnosed each year, about 200 are in Scotland, and our nation endures one of the highest incidence rates of mesothelioma anywhere in the world.
When I last participated in a debate on this issue, little did I know that my uncle would die of mesothelioma, which he did a few years ago. Alan Carlaw was in the motor industry, as was I. He had the British Leyland franchise, and we had the Ford franchise, which proved to be the more reliable of the two in the fullness of time. Those businesses, like many others, were housed in architecture that was built at a time when asbestos was a prevailing building material. It was back in the 1970s that our business sought to clear the asbestos out of our buildings, and we saw just how ridiculously it had been used as a manufacturing substance and how it had deteriorated. I remember that one could see the asbestos dust in the air.
Many people were involved in industries in which being around asbestos was absolutely part of their working day. They built Scotland in good faith, not recognising that they were doing so in an environment that would subsequently kill them. That is a great injustice and a huge tragedy, not least because for many people, including my uncle, pleural plaques did not manifest as part of the disease until they were much older—that happened decades after my uncle’s exposure to asbestos. I was in the motor industry, too, so perhaps I, too, have pleural plaques—I just do not know.
Dying in the way that my uncle did was such an unjust way for anyone to end their life. For those people who end up having to suffer and die of mesothelioma, it is an absolutely ghastly experience. We know that they drown, in effect, in great distress. There is no soft answer, and there is no cure.
Members might not imagine this to be true, but East Renfrewshire, where my leafy constituency of Eastwood lies, has the fourth-highest ratio of mesothelioma deaths to road traffic deaths in the country. However, the public focus on road traffic deaths, road traffic management and road traffic accident prevention is huge. When we consider the incidence of mesothelioma that we are still seeing each year, the lack of public awareness of the disease and the suggestion that it is just a Scottish disease—well, not a Scottish disease as such, but a disease that, along with certain other conditions, has a higher incidence in Scotland than elsewhere—should not be obstacles to our making a renewed national effort to ensure that appropriate research is undertaken and our seeking to get to a point at which there is, indeed, a cure.
The absence of a cure, the on-going lack of awareness of the condition and the lack of energy and urgency behind an attempt to find a cure are nothing short of a national disgrace. The people who built Scotland deserve better, and the people who might yet contract mesothelioma ought to know that a national effort is being undertaken to make it possible for them to survive the disease, should it manifest itself, through the identification and implementation of a cure.
13:12
I remind members of my voluntary register of trade union interests.
I thank Marie McNair for bringing this motion to Parliament today. Once again, she is acting not as an unconsidered representative of her party but as a diligent and democratic representative of her constituents, because the working class of Clydebank know better than anyone about the suffering that is caused by negligent industrial-scale exposure to asbestos at work.
Let us be absolutely clear about this: this is not a debate about history. As we debate this motion in the Scottish Parliament this afternoon, and as we mark action mesothelioma day on 4 July, the number of asbestos-related cases in Scotland’s communities is not falling—it is rising. The evidence from practitioners advising the Scottish Law Commission is that more than 700 people are diagnosed with pleural plaques in Scotland every year, and that this number might not yet have peaked. That is why the Scottish Law Commission’s recommendation in its “Report on Damages for Personal Injury”, published last December, which at last resolves the time-bar problem, must now be enacted.
By its own admission, the Law Commission draws heavily on the case that was made by Unite the Union and articulated by its solicitors, Thompsons. Their submission argued this:
“Individuals should not be disproportionately penalised for failure to raise court proceedings for a relatively minor injury when they ... go on to develop a serious and potentially life-threatening illness as a result of the same negligent act.”
The Law Commission has made a strong and unambiguous recommendation, and the Scottish Government and this Parliament must act with the same clear thinking and with the same fortitude, and they must act without delay, because for all of those families and all of those workers, enough time has already been wasted. That is why I call on the minister today in Parliament not to meet me but to give them an unequivocal guarantee that the Government will amend the Prescription and Limitation (Scotland) Act 1973, in line with the Scottish Law Commission’s recommendation, before the end of this parliamentary session.
One of the greatest influences on my politics and in my life was my old friend and comrade Alex Falconer, who was a member of the European Parliament, a community campaigner, a socialist, a peace activist, a dockyard worker and a trade unionist to his core. He won a test case in the late 1980s when he was diagnosed with pleural plaques after working with asbestos as a lagger in Rosyth dockyard. I remember the two of us going to meet the Transport and General Workers Union’s lawyers in Glasgow, going to meet Hugh Campbell QC in the splendour of Edinburgh’s new town, and then meeting him again on the steps of the High Court in Edinburgh just days later, to be told that the Ministry of Defence had decided at the last minute not to defend the action.
It was a test case in which the insurance industry was finally forced to recognise that a civil award for pleural plaques could be pursued, and to do so did not close the door on a later damages claim for mesothelioma. Sadly, that is exactly what happened in the life—and then in the tragic death—of Alex Falconer.
For many of us, action mesothelioma day is not abstract. It is very real, and whether inside Parliament or outside of it, in that battle for justice, alongside the grass-roots campaigners in Action on Asbestos and the Clydebank Asbestos Group, we will carry on. It remains painful, poignant and personal, but it is political as well, and so we will carry on—striving, struggling, yielding to none, facing setbacks but unflinching in our determination. In the name of all those we have lost, we will carry on. We will never give up. We will always carry on. We will carry on.
I call the minister, Jenni Minto, to respond to the debate.
13:18
I, too, thank my colleague Marie McNair for bringing the motion to the chamber, and I welcome the opportunity to close today’s debate on mesothelioma. I recognise Ms McNair’s long-standing support for her constituents and other people who are living with the impact of asbestos. I also acknowledge the valuable contributions from my colleagues today, and I recognise the strong feeling and cross-party support that there is for Ms McNair’s motion.
Richard Leonard said that this is not history and that it is happening now. It is always important to understand, as Bill Kidd and Carol Mochan took the time to explain, the underlying history of meso and its current impact on different areas of the population.
I very much agree with Pam Gosal’s comments on the lifeline support that the Clydebank Asbestos Group provides for people—and their families—who are living with meso. Its website has a simple, direct video that explains how the group can provide great help and support to families.
Jackson Carlaw raised the important point that these people built Scotland and, therefore, we have a responsibility towards them.
As I might have said before in responses to other debates on the matter, I first became aware of the issue when my husband directed a film for BBC Scotland about 30 years ago that raised knowledge about it in the wider community. From my heart, I thank the people in the gallery for the powerful work that they are doing and ask them to keep holding us to account.
On behalf of the Scottish Government, I recognise all those who are affected by this type of cancer—not just the individuals themselves but their loved ones. Adjusting to a cancer diagnosis is never easy. That must be especially true for rarer cancers that leave individuals feeling isolated and worried at an already distressing time. Therefore, the Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that people who are impacted by a cancer diagnosis receive person-centred and holistic care. We work closely with Macmillan Cancer Support to improve the service that we offer patients through the transforming cancer care programme.
Improving cancer survival is also a key aim of the Scottish Government’s cancer strategy. We know that earlier detection can improve outcomes, and we have invested in several programmes to support the earlier detection of cancers. A number of speakers noted the point that mesothelioma is diagnosed late and requires much more research, and I am pleased that there are currently four active clinical trials open to recruitment in Scotland that are related to meso.
The ASSESS-Meso trial is specifically aimed at collecting more information about people with meso. It will help researchers to know more about symptoms and their impact on daily living so that we can improve care. The Meso-ORIGINS study at the University of Glasgow aims to find out how benign inflammation develops into meso in people after exposure to asbestos. The EXTRA-Meso feasibility study is exploring how exercise therapy can improve symptom control, fitness and quality of life for patients with meso. Another trial, which addresses the point that Jackson Carlaw made, is examining the effectiveness of a drug that specifically targets the build-up of fluid around the lung that mesothelioma causes and aims to make breathing easier for people who are affected.
In addition, a core commitment in the Scottish Government’s strategy “Genomics in Scotland: Building our Future” is the development of a sustainable and more reactive funding model so that we can expand access to genomic testing equitably across Scotland and keep pace with the rapid rate of change.
As many speakers in the debate said, we are all aware that exposure to asbestos in the past is known to be a major contributing factor to developing meso. As well as aiming to ensure that we prevent exposure to asbestos, which has been banned in the UK since 1999, and that appropriate medical care is in place for people who have been affected by asbestos exposure, the Scottish Government remains committed to ensuring that individuals have appropriate rights to compensation.
As Marie McNair, Richard Leonard, Bill Kidd and others noted, the current law on limitation, which sets time limits for raising court proceedings, can cause difficulties for people with mesothelioma. Through no fault of their own, they might find themselves time barred from raising civil proceedings and, in effect, be denied a legal remedy.
The Scottish Government and Scottish Parliament have a strong record of supporting those who have been negligently exposed to asbestos. The law in relation to secondary exposure has developed over recent decades, and we are encouraged to see that those who are affected are increasingly recognised.
The Scottish Law Commission published several recommendations for reform of damages for personal injury in December last year, and I thank it for its work. Those recommendations included changes in the law of limitation regarding asymptomatic asbestos-related conditions. The Scottish Government supports those recommendations and has a proven track record of implementing Scottish Law Commission reports, having introduced four bills this session with a fifth to come.
Where asbestos remains, licences are required to work with it and strict control measures are used, including personal protective equipment such as respirators.
As has been noted, my colleague Siobhian Brown is looking forward to meeting Marie McNair and her constituents, and I note, as she will do, the comments that have been made by Richard Leonard and Bill Kidd. I am content to meet as well, but that specific element does not fit into my portfolio.
I give my sincere thanks to those who provide valuable information, help and support to anyone who is affected by meso or any other asbestos-related condition. I give my thanks to Mesothelioma UK for continuing to raise awareness each year on action mesothelioma day. The Scottish Government will support “Go Blue for Meso” by lighting up in blue St Andrew’s house and Victoria Quay in Edinburgh on 4 July.
I mention again and give my special thanks to the Clydebank Asbestos Group and the Less Survivable Cancers Taskforce. The work of the third sector, community and social care partners, alongside that of our national health service, is critical in supporting those who are affected by meso.
I thank everyone who has taken part in the debate, and I look forward to working with all of them to improve awareness, early diagnosis, treatment and clinical research, together with support for action mesothelioma day 2025.
That concludes the debate.
13:26 Meeting suspended.