22/01/2012 Sunday Politics North East and Cumbria

Why families who lost loved ones to cancer-causing asbestos are missing

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 1774 seconds

out on compensation they say they This region is one of the worst for

cancer deaths. From exposure to asbestos. We have a special report

on those seeking compensation. We're also talking about the latest

rise and unemployment figures. Our guests today are Catherine

McKinnell and Guy Opperman. This autumn, voters will choose a

police and crime commissioner. He will be paid between 70 and �85,000

Ministers say it will allow people to hold their local forced to

account. That is a view shared by the Mayor of Hartlepool, Stuart

Drummond. A commission or will not be responsible for operational

policing. It is more about governments. It is about

responsibilities at and around the budget and strategic decisions. It

could be a positive. If you ask a lot of people who the members of

the police authority are, they will struggle to name them. It does

bring that sort of public face to the police force. You have a job a

smear of Hartlepool, but is this a position that interests you? -- as

mere of Hartlepool. Your poor by the 50th person that has asked me

that this week! I have not planned my life that far ahead yet. Let us

talk now to Lord Beecham, Newcastle councillor.

I gather you're not a fan of this idea. Why? For a whole host of

regions -- reasons. It will cost a lot of money at a

time when police budgets are being cut. There is a danger that this

will politicise policing in a way that we have not experienced in

this country. I think it would be difficult for them to sustain

pressure from candidates who have stoked up the fear of crime as a

means of getting elected. Third, there is the programme - by the

problem of fragmentation. The police commissioner, whose

decisions can only be challenged by two thirds of the committee the

serve under him, will have it power to raise almost 11% of council tax

on his own. That is a serious concentration of power and than

single pair of hands. The Northumbria, one person is supposed

to be accountable from the region from Berwick Down to Sunderland.

You do not like the idea. What we're talking about is making this

is -- making the system more democratic? It is pitting the power

in a single pair of hands. We will see what the turnout for the

election is. David Cameron's favourite policeman is the Police

Commissioner in New York. He is so impressed that he is thought --

that it is thought he wanted him appointed Police Commissioner. He

does not understand why they should be going over to an American system

which he finds deeply flawed and heavily politicised. How is that

single person going to be accountable, visible to and

responding to people in a region as large as Northumbria? It is not as

if the police are not making big efforts just now. They regularly

attend public meetings, they have done for years. It is an effective

relationship. Thank you very much. Guy Opperman, you have heard the

case against - what do you make of it? I think democracy is a good

thing. I do not know why he's so scared of the people. If we want

more policemen on the beat, isn't that a good thing? I do not have

any difficulty with that. The type of policing we ripped -- the Prison

we have is with the police authority nobody knows. If you can

name a dozen or so people batter on it, you're a better man than I. The

policing is from Westminster... A chief constable is enforcing what

Westminster says Cobb not what the local people here say. Local people

will have control over the way the police force has run. But if it

ain't broke, why fix it? Cleveland and Northumbria say that --

apparently came first for public trust. Why change it? And London,

they have cut knife crime and the murder rate is down. There is the

suit is underground system in Europe. -- the safest Underground

system. I take the view that you cannot say when -- no one person

can do this. Catherine McKinnell, a good idea, it will cut crime? If it

ain't broke, don't fix -- don't fix it. I am worried it's going to

break it. There are a lot of cuts happening. To restructure in this

way, at a time when they are facing significant constraint on their

budgets, is quite irresponsible. But trusting the public to have a

say - is that such a bad thing? We have a long history of a non

politicised police force. The chief constable still has control of

oppositional matters. I had been out on the beat with the police. I

have seen how much the do, not just to prosecute crimes or catch

criminals, but to prevent crime and that is what I worry. The shift

will go on reaching targets, meeting figures, bumper numbers, as

opposed to actually preventing crimes happening in the first place.

There is a potential democratic problem here for you. Isn't there?

Any police commissioner might not give any priority to rural

Northumberland. I think they would, actually. You may get independents

standing who are totally non- political. Do you Know Where It's -

- you know there any here? I am absolutely certain independents

will stand in Cumbria. I am absolutely certain. The candidates

I have heard mention her the same people that sure the police

authorities. Would it be a failure of Labour to find this new

individuals to make this job work. -- to make this job were? I think a

lot of people are coming forward. We need to get someone who

understands the priorities of people and what they want to see

their police force delivering, but can speak for the whole community.

You have had a very important point. Sometimes, the loudest voices will

get the most representation and when it comes to crime, that is not

always the best approach. This is something that was in both of the

coalition parties' manifestos. In 2008, David Hanson said in the

House of Commons, it is a good thing. They have changed their mind

in the last few years. The North's history of heavy industry has left

an unfortunate legacy. Some of the highest rates of

asbestos related deaths anywhere in Britain. Victims cannot get any

compensation because their employers Insurance records cannot

be traced. We have been to hear the story of a family. He could walk in

the room and he would fill it. He was quite shy. That was until you

got to know him. He was just amazing. Liz remembers happier

times. A year ago, he died from asbestos related illnesses. He

worked as a photographer. He was present when they were taking the

photographs, when you dismantling their engines. -- when they were

dismantling the the engines. You could see the particles in the air.

30 years on, the family is still battling for compensation. Because

his employer has gone out of business in the meantime, the

insurance records lost, they have so far been unsuccessful stalls --

unsuccessful. I promised him I would see it right or the bitter

end. He nodded his head, because at that time, he could hardly speak.

He should not have gone through that there. Other people should not

have to. With the death toll from asbestos related cancer rising,

that frustration is shared by others. A generation ago, workers

were being exposed to asbestos in all sorts of occupations. It was in

the heavy industries, like these shipyards, where the exposure was

most common. Now many of the jobs have gone but the legacy of chronic

ill health are still very much with us. More than 2000 people died from

this every year. The figure in the North East has around 150, one of

the highest rates in the country. At least one in 10 victims are not

be able to trace their employer's insurance. Campaigners want a fund

to help families to miss out on compensation, paid for by the

insurance industry. There is a long time lag between the point in time

where the victim is exposed and when the effects cocaine. -- when

the effects happen. A lot of the companies have gone out of business

and it is not possible to trace the insurers. Pressure on the

Government is growing, but the insurance industry opposes the move.

We do not think it is right that in circumstances where there may not

have been insurance in place but there 40 years ago, thought to

date's employers to fund that. They want to be sure that everything is

done to trace the original insurance and it is paid on that

basis. Lewis fight on, so that she can hold some of to account for her

husband's unnecessary death. Why have be able not acted to help the

relatives of people like Liz Bradshaw?

I think we have, actually. The insurance Minister - sorry, the

insurance businesses are struggling. The insurance industry as billions

and billions of pounds, this is not huge amounts of money. How were you

going to do it so there are not burdens upon the population? The

Labour Party -- the Labour Party had the same thing. They were

unsympathetic to a private member's bill. To be fair to the Labour

government, they introduce the compensation Act of 2006 which

cover some of these things. We know what we can do, that is why there

is a consultation that cut and that is why it is going forward. I

strongly support the idea. I have dealt with cases myself when I was

a lawyer before I became an MP. Catherine McKinnell, is a difficult

to work this out? Of the government some credit, it is trying to do it.

It is taking far too long. I have seen a question today, it is the

same response that we got 18 months ago. We are talking to people, we

are considering the matter. That is just not good enough. It is leaving

families without compensation. The taxpayer end up footing the bill

for looking after these people when the insurer should be covered. --

should be covering it. Labour introduced a consultation on this,

20th February 10. It was months away from the election, they would

not have to keep their promise. That is a very cynical way of

looking at it! The onus is on the current government to get moving

and get the insurance industry to excepted. A lot of people involved

in the government suspect that the government wants to kick it into

the long grass. The two of us agree that you need to stand up for those

workers who have been exposed to asbestos. Both of us are in full

agreement on that. How you go forward is difficult. There was 13

years for Labour to introduce this. There is a code of practice. There

are still 40% of those claims which are not being looked after. I think

we should have something similar to that which covers uninsured drivers

of cars. These families need compensation and support and the

need what is rightfully and legally theirs. It has been a busy

political week but we have managed to squeeze it into what action-

packed minute. -- into one action-packed minutes.

Theatres, museums and libraries across County Durham could be

handed over to a charitable trust. They believe they could save

millions on VAT. The Transport Minister arrived on Tyneside to

have a look at the modernisation of the Metro. Unemployment in the

North East rose by another 11,000. One Tyneside MP was quick to put

the Prime Minister on the spot. And the North East, unemployment among

slum and is rising at twice the rate of VAT amongst men. --

unemployment amongst women. Where does the Prime Minister think a

woman's place is? At home, in the workplace, or in the JobCentre?

Darlington Football Club has been saved from liquidation - for the

moment, at least. The town's MP said she was even willing to work

behind the bar if it helped save her home town pub. The eagle-eyed

among she will notice that it was Catherine McKinnell's question.

What would you say to that question? Everybody understands

that unemployment is a tragedy for every single family. It affects you

and all of your loved ones. There is a huge problem. No one can

diminish that and I do not dispute the statistics. We are doing

something, we are trying to turn this around. We have got the work

programme starting. We have got their abilities in relation to

apprentices. There are 34,000 apprentices now compared to 18,000

last year. We have double that in Hexham, in my constituency. The

Employment Minister is coming to an event I have organised. A thing

that is a good thing. The BBC should come. We may well do.

Catherine McKinnell, of what impression are you getting from

your constituents? They are deeply worried. We see a wage freeze, we

see a BT -- a VAT increase. The Government are talking a good talk

but it is having the opposite effect of what they're saying. An

impact on the North East, a disproportionate impact, is

overwhelming. This is a big change in the labour market, isn't it?

We're moving from a dependence on the public sector to more private

sector jobs. Readers need to be patient, don't we? There cutting so

fast and so quickly and in the wrong way. Most of these cuts are

targeted disproportionately on areas like the North East. By party

has not said it will not reverse these cuts. There has just said it

will not -- it cannot commit to what cuts it will reverse. You must

dread the day these employment figures come out. The worrying is

it for you seen these figures rising and continuing to rise?

Unemployment did not mushroom overnight. Unemployment was

already... In your own constituency, it was roughly the same as it was

right now. Unemployment was going down and now it is going up again

because the government cuts are having a detrimental impact. We