Legal firm welcomes "overdue" ELIB plan

Ian McFall, head of asbestos policy at Thompsons Solicitors, said: "We have said for many years that what is good enough for road traffic accident victims is good enough for the workers."

Thompsons Solicitors has welcomed Government plans to help injured workers and their families obtain compensation

Today's announcement from the Department for Work and Pensions outlined plans to create an Employers' Liability Tracing Office to help people track down their employers' liability insurance policies, and an Employers' Liability Insurance Bureau to provide a fund of last resort for those who are unable to trace insurers.

Ian McFall, head of asbestos policy at Thompsons Solicitors, which has been campaigning for an ELIB, said: "This positive move is as welcome as it is overdue. It is essential that ELIB is a guaranteed insurance fund of last resort to protect all injured workers not just those who have asbestos-related disease.

"We have said for many years that what is good enough for road traffic accident victims is good enough for the workers."

The government will now hold a consultation, which closes in May, to decide how the tracing office could be best managed and funded.

It will also look at the type of accident or disease which will be covered by the ELIB and which claims will be eligible under the scheme.