Victims of asbestos and their families are being invited to the second meeting of a new support group in York.

Kim Daniells, who founded the York Asbestos Support Group, said the meeting would include an update on changes to compensation for victims and their families.

She said: "The first few months of 2006 have proved a challenging time for victims of asbestos diseases and their families.

"The courts have prevented individuals with pleural plaques from receiving compensation.

"A decision in May at the House of Lords has had the affect of reducing compensation for many affected by mesothelioma."

She said the work and pensions minister had raised the possibility of a scheme to ensure mesothelioma sufferers had their claims dealt with briskly.

The Government might also introduce legislation to affectively reverse the recent House of Lords decision that caused difficulties for many individuals trying to claim compensation.

A former York Carriageworks trade union official Paul Cooper, a long-standing campaigner on behalf of asbestos victims, would be attending the meeting to talk about his experience.

Ms Daniells said from talking to people who attended the group's first meeting, the opportunity to meet and discuss issues, renew acquaintances and share experiences was central to the help that the organisation could provide.

The meeting will take place between 7pm and 9pm on Tuesday at Burmholme Community College, York.