§ Dr. McDonaldasked the Secretary of State for Trade (1) if he will list in the Official Report the quantity of total imports in tonnes of asbestos into the United Kingdom for each year since 1945 and give the value of such imports in each year;
(2) if he will list in the Official Report both the quantity and value of imports of each type of asbestos, amolite, anthophyllite, chrysotile, crocidolite and tremolite in each year since 1945.
§ Mr. Parkinson:The available information is as follows:
39W
ASBESTOS IMPORTS Weight (thousand tonnes) Value (£ million c.i.f.) 1945 69.3 2.2 1946 56.1 1.8 1947 72.5 2.6 1948 94.0 3.8 1949 97.2 4.8 1950 122.2 6.6 1951 134.9 7.7 1952 136.9 10.6 1953 112.9 8.5 1954 126.4 9.0 1955 147.7 10.6 1956 149.4 11.1 1957 139.4 10.7 1958 133.5 10.3 1959 135.7 9.7 1960 171.0 12.2 1961 169.3 12.1 1962 147.4 9.7 1963 160.1 10.6 1964 186.6 11.1 1965 178.9 10.8 1966 192.4 11.9 1967 170.0 11.3 1968 178.3 13.0 1969 179.9 13.7 1970 154.6 12.6
Weight (thousand tonnes) Value (£ million c.i.f.) 1971 167.8 13.0 1972 150.3 12.5 1973 198.1 16.6 1974 153.0 18.6 1975 139.2 24.2 1976 144.9 35.5 1977 127.2 32.2 1978 117.6 27.1 1979 116.7 25.6 Source: Annual Statements of the Overseas Trade of the United Kingdom and annual editions of the United Kingdom Overseas Trade Statistics (SITC/R1 item 276.41 and 276.43, SITC/R2 subgroup 278.4, and corresponding code numbers for earlier years). Notes: (a) No imports of crocidolite have been recorded since this substance was first separately identified in the Overseas Trade Statistics in 1974. (b) Other forms of asbestos are not separately identified, but it is believed that the great bulk of imports has been in the form of chrysotile.
§ Dr. McDonaldasked the Secretary of State for Trade (1) if he will list in the Official Report the amounts in tonnes and the value of asbestos cement products imported into the United Kingdom in each year since 1945 and the main countries of origin;
(2) if he will list in the Official Report the exports in tonnes and value of asbestos cement products from the United Kingdom in each year since 1945 and the main countries to which these products have been exported.
§ Mr. Parkinson:Asbestos cement products are not separately identified in the Overseas Trade Statistics. The details, which can be provided within acceptable limits of cost, of overseas trade since 1962 in articles of asbestos-cement, cellulose fibre-cement and the like—the bulk of which is believed to have been of asbestos-cement—are given in the table below.
The principal countries from which imports have been consigned and to which exports have been destined since 1976 are as follows:
Imports Belgium-Luxembourg Irish Republic France 40W
Exports Nigeria Irish Republic Belgium-Luxembourg Saudi Arabia
I. UNITED KINGDOM IMPORTS £'000 cif Tonnes 1963 830 24,357 1964 1,063 29,783 1965 1,384 34,470 1966 1,221 29,971 1967 1,345 30,264 1968 1,504 31,431 1969 1,123 22,353 1970 1,224 24,119 1971 1,437 25,783 1972 1,891 31,536 1973 2,365 38,122 1974 4,052 58,560 1975 4,027 43,155 1976 5,661 49,971 1977 4,655 33,695 1978 6,436 41,543 1979 8,531 55,100
II. UNITED KINGDOM EXPORTS £'000 fob Tonnes 1963 1,456 45,113 1964 2,000 58,785 1965 1,547 38,210 1966 1,363 33,857 1967 1,336 31,931 1968 1,725 33,515 1969 2,205 38,987 1970 2,317 34,432 1971 3,095 34,676 1972 2,554 22,863 1973 2,800 23,960 1974 2,984 24,911 1975 6,344 46,412 1976 12,116 74,084 1977 16,939 96,951 1978 11,298 60,557 1979 11,032 41,713 Source: Annual Statements of the Overseas Trade of the United Kingdom and United Kingdom Overseas Trade Statistics, STTC (R1 and R2) Item 661.83 and corresponding code numbers for earlier years.
§ Dr. McDonaldasked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will introduce legislation to ensure that all asbestos and asbestos products imported into, exported from or used in the United Kingdom are labelled, giving details of the type of fibre involved.
§ Mrs. Sally Oppenheim:As the hon. Member will be aware from my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Employment, the Health and Safety Executive has received views on the final report of the advisory committee on asbestos, which includes a recommendation that the effectiveness of the existing voluntary scheme for labelling consumer goods made of asbestos be examined. I understand that he has not yet had an opportunity to assess these views. In addition, a separate investigation is being conducted by my Department into the effective- 41W ness of the scheme. At this stage it would categories, he will circulate in the be premature to consider the need for Official Report a revised table giving legislation. The question of labelling figures for each year since 1970, the asbestos for use in industry is a matter fourth quarters of 1973 and 1976 and for my right hon. Friend the Secretary the first two quarters of the current of State for Employment.