§ Mr. Nicholas Brownasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will ensure that the duties currently contained in the asbestos regulations 1969 and known as the practicable duties will not be replaced by a weaker phrasing, such as "reasonably practicable," in the forthcoming new asbestos regulations.
§ Mr. GummerThe Health and Safety Commission intends shortly to issue a consultative document containing proposals designed to replace the asbestos regulations 1969 with a comprehensive set of new regulations. The commission will give careful consideration to all comments received on this consultative document before presenting their final proposals to my right hon. Friend. It would be wrong for me to pre-empt in any way this process of public consultation.