§ Mr. McKelveyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what action has been taken on the Standing Medical Advisory Committee report, "Control of the cancer hazard due to asbestos to the general population".
§ Mr. Whitney[pursuant to the reply, 2 May 1986, c. 514]: There was no such report issued by the Standing Medical Advisory Committee. However in 1968 a subcommittee of SMAC, under the chairmanship of the then Dr. W. R. S. Doll, made various recommendations in a committee working paper—entitled "Control of the cancer hazard due to asbestos to the general population", and SMAC accepted the sub-committee's recommendations.
The recommendations relating to the use of crocidolite and the labelling of asbestos were implemented voluntarily by industry. With the setting up of the Advisory Committee on Asbestos by the Health and Safety Commission in 1976 a more comprehensive control programme for the use, substitution and disposal of asbestos was put into effect. I shall write to the hon. Member to explain the controls that now exist.