§ Mr. Evansasked the Secretary of State for Employment how many companies which applied for unconditional licences under the Asbestos Licensing Regulations 1983 were given only conditional licences; and what were the main reasons for these decisions.
§ Mr. GummerAll licences are issued subject to general conditions. In addition, regulation 4 permits the Health and Safety Executive to impose such additional conditions on the licence as it considers appropriate.
810 applications, all for unconditional licences, have been received. The executive has so far issued 706 licences. 586 are for one year. 381 of these require a notification of work to be given to the enforcing authority and 204 have one or more of the additional conditions that the executive considered to be necessary. 121 licences have been issued for a five-year term. The number and type of conditions imposed is not readily available.
§ Mr. Evansasked the Secretary of State for Employment how many companies have had their applications for a licence under the Asbestos Licensing Regulations 1983 refused; and what were the grounds for each refusal.
§ Mr. GummerTo date one company has had their application for a licence refused, on the grounds that the Health and Safety Executive's record of their activities indicated a lack of ability by senior management to exercise effective control over important aspects of work with asbestos including training, supervision and overall site management.
All those who have been issued with licences have had attached conditions of varying kinds. A high proportion have had licences only for one year.
§ Mr. Evansasked the Secretary of State for Employment how many additional staff have been appointed to the Health and Safety Executive to monitor the Asbestos Licensing Regulations 1983.
§ Mr. GummerThe Health and Safety Executive aims to recruit up to 50 general factory inspectors during 1984–85. It is from within the total staff numbers that allocations to specific work are made and staff are not, in general, recruited for specific purposes. Factory inspectors will continue to monitor work involving asbestos as a high priority and will where necessary pay particular attention to the work of individual licensees.
§ Mr. Evansasked the Secretary of State for Employment how many companies have been granted conditional licenses under the Asbestos Licensing 44W Regulations 1983; what categories of conditions have been imposed; and how many companies fall into each category.
§ Mr. GummerAll licences are conditional with regard to instruction training, compliance with asbestos-related legislation and the making of the licences available for inspection. Moreover, all licences are issued with a limitation on their validity. The categories of conditions that have been imposed vary according to inspectors' assessment of an applicant's previous compliance record. Precise numbers of the categories of condition which have been imposed and how many companies fall into each category are not available.
§ Mr. Evansasked the Secretary of State for Employment what additional resources have been allocated to the Health and Safety Executive to cope with the Asbestos Licensing Regulations 1983.
§ Mr. GummerThe level of grant in aid allocated to the Health and Safety Commission takes into account the work plans of the commission and executive.
§ Mr. Evansasked the Secretary of State for Employment what constraints will be exercised by the Health and Safety Executive on companies who have been granted only conditional licences under the Asbestos Licensing Regulation 1983.
§ Mr. GummerOnly conditional licences have been granted. The executive may revoke a licence if the licensee is not operating in accordance with the criteria set out in the regulations or it may vary the terms of a licence if it considers it appropriate to do so. Revocation of a licence will be considered whenever inspectors report that a licensee failed to comply with the conditions of his licence, and in every case where a licensee is convicted of an offence under the Licensing regulations or which directly relates to work with asbestos.
All enforcing authorities are being asked to report site visits to the principal inspectors responsible for asbestos licenses at the Health and Safety Executive area offices. This will provide the executive's asbestos licensing unit with more information on which applications to renew licences may be favourably considered.
§ Mr. Evansasked the Secretary of State for Employment how many companies have been granted unconditional licences under the Asbestos Licensing Regulations 1983.
§ Mr. GummerNo unconditional licences have been granted.
§ Mr. Evansasked the Secretary of State for Employment how many companies of whose working practices the Health and Safety Executive had no prior knowledge have been granted licences under the Asbestos Licensing Regulations 1983.
§ Mr. GummerSpecial additional conditions will be applied to any licences issued to companies where the Health and Safety Executive has no previous knowledge of their working practices. The number of applications from previously unknown companies has not been separately recorded.