§ Dr. McDonaldasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement concerning the introduction of the new control limits on asbestos recommended by the Asbestos Advisory Committee last year.
§ Mr. WaddingtonThe final report of the Advisory Committee on Asbestos, which was published in October 1979, contains wide-ranging recommendations for new 621W legal and administrative controls on asbestos, including control limits for assessing and controlling occupational exposure to asbestos dust. The report has been the subject of extensive consultation and, in the light of comments received and the advice of the Health and Safety Commission, the Government will decide shortly on appropriate responses to the recommendations.
§ Dr. McDonaldasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will ensure that all asbestos products, including imported manufactured asbestos products, are adequately labelled with details of the nature and proportion of asbestos material contained in the product.
§ Mr. WaddingtonFollowing discussions between the Government and representatives of the asbestos industry in 1976, a voluntary labelling scheme was introduced for all United Kingdom manufactured products containing asbestos which could constitute a possible danger to health through the release of asbestos dust. More recently, the industry has had some success in persuading importers of similar products to participate in the labelling scheme. The United Kingdom, with other member States of the European Community, is considering a proposal to harmonise a statutory labelling scheme.
The Advisory Committee on Asbestos has recommended in its final report that if experience shows that voluntary compliance with the present labelling scheme is inadequate, it should be made obligatory. With other recommendations made by the committee, and taking account of reaction to them and the European proposals, the Government will be considering shortly whether any change in existing procedures is desirable.
§ Dr. McDonaldasked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) if he will outline the steps taken to ascertain the type of asbestos contained in imported manufactured asbestos products, especially asbestos cement; and, if none are taken, what plans he has to introduce such controls;
(2) whether any imported asbestos cement contains crocidolite.
§ Mr. WaddingtonThere is no legislation which requires steps to be taken to ascertain the type of asbestos contained in imported and manufactured goods, but from the information available the Government understand that no crocidolite has been contained in any asbestos cement imported since 1975. However, after extensive consultations, the Government are to consider shortly an appropriate response to the final report of the Advisory Committee on Asbestos, which includes a recommendation for a ban on the importation of crocidolite which should be extended to products containing it if the practical difficulties can be overcome.