On 24 March 2025, Ian Lavery MP, Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Occupational Safety and Health, chaired a public hearing on Cape’s legacy on asbestos. Ian was joined by a cross party panel; Christine Jardine MP, Lord John Hendy KC, Baroness Frances O’Grady, Baroness Finlay of Llandaff and John Glen MP.

The public hearing was as a consequence of the Forum’s ‘Cape Must Pay’ campaign which was initiated after their successful Supreme Court case in which they obtained historic documents. These documents revealed that Cape knew the true dangers of Cape’s insulation board, commonly known as AIB, trade name Asbestolux. However, despite knowing that this product was lethal, Cape continued to put ‘profit before safety’.

The Forum is demanding that Cape, or its parent company, Altrad, pays £10m towards medical research to find a cure for mesothelioma to Asthma+Lung UK in recognition of the millions of deaths their product has caused and will cause in the future, and its deliberate cover up. Until the £10m is paid, the Forum has requested the Government to place a moratorium on any Government contracts to be awarded to Cape, Altrad or any of its subsidiaries.

The panel heard from eminent experts, including Dr Robin Rudd, Professor Peter Szlosarek and Christopher Chambers. The panel also heard from Tony Whitston the founder of the Forum and ex-Chair, and Forum members John Flanaghan and Nevyn Stevenson. In addition, Harminder Bains Partner at Leigh Day gave evidence along with Peter Gartside former director of Cape and Trade Unionists Sarah Lyons and Michael Phillips.

Unfortunately, although Ran Oren, director of many Cape companies and CEO of Altrad, was invited to attend, he did not appear.

We eagerly await the report of the public hearing.