Asbestos (Hansard, 23 June 1983)

§ Mr. Tebbit

Since 1980, Her Majesty's Government have been negotiating and pressing for early agreement on proposals for directives to protect workers from excessive exposure to asbestos, and to restrict the marketing and use of asbestos products. The draft directives, which had been debated by both Houses in 1981, were on 20 April 1983 recommended by the Select Committee on European Legislation for further consideration by a Standing Committee of this House, but they had not been so considered by 13 May when Parliament was dissolved. At the meeting of the Council of Labour and Social Affairs Ministers in Luxembourg on 2 June, at which I represented the United Kingdom, a conclusion was reached on the Asbestos (Worker Protection) directive. My agreement was subject to a parliamentary reserve.

The Asbestos (Marketing and Use) directive was agreed, also subject to parliamentary reserve, at the Internal Market Council on 21 June at which my right hon. Friend the Minister for Trade represented the United Kingdom. The agreements reached are largely in line with the recommendations of the Health and Safety Commission's advisory committee on asbestos, but where the United Kingdom currently operates more stringent standards these will be maintained.

The worker protection directive has two key provisions. It requires that the exposure of workers at their place of work must be reduced to as low a level as is reasonbly practicable, and in any event below certain maximum exposure limits—0.5 fibres per millilitre for crocidolite —blue asbestos—and 1.0 f/ml for all other types of asbestos. It also provides for an action level, set at an exposure of 0.25 f/ml, at which the major protective measures would come into operation. The figures for the action level and the maximum exposure limit will be subject to review by the Council before 1 January 1990.

The marketing and use directive prohibits the marketing and use of crocidolite and products containing it, except that member states may exempt certain specified products. The Government intend to introduce a general prohibition on the import of crocidolite and products containing it into the United Kingdom. The directive also sets out detailed provisions for the labelling of all asbestos products.

The achievement by the Community of a large measure of harmonised control in this crucial area has been well worth the considerable efforts devoted to it over three years of discussions. The Government considered that our interest in early adoption of the directives justified provisional agreement before the Select Committee's recommendation could be complied with. As soon as possible I shall be writing more fully to the Chairman of the Select Committees.