§ Mr. Ian McCartneyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what monitoring is taking place following the Health and Safety Executive's increased emphasis on the risks of casual exposure to asbestos as outlined in the HSE statement on asbestos 1994. [38052]
§ Sir Paul BeresfordThe Health and Safety Executive is currently commissioning an independent evaluation of its asbestos awareness campaign. The results should be available towards the middle of 1996.
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§ Mr. McCartneyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what is the number of cases identified where respiratory protective equipment has been used but where the respirable asbestos dust levels exceed the respiratory protective equipment manufacturers claimed level of protection since July 1992; [38055]
(2) what sanctions are applied to contractors who are caught using respirable protective equipment but where the level of respirable asbestos dust exceeds the respiratory protective equipment manufacturers claimed level of protection; [38056]
(3) how many contractors have been sanctioned for using respiratory protective equipment where the level of respirable asbestos dust exceeds the respiratory protective equipment manufacturers claimed level of protection since July 1992; [38057]
(4) how many contractors have been fined for using respiratory protective equipment where the level of respirable asbestos dust exceeds the respiratory protective equipment manufacturers claimed level of protection since July 1992; and what is the average level of the fine. [38058]
§ Sir Paul BeresfordIf standards of health and safety are not adequate, health and safety inspectors have the statutory power to serve improvement or prohibition notices, or prosecute duty holders. Information is not centrally available on the number of cases or contractors sanctioned involving the use of respiratory protective equipment where the level of respirable asbestos dust exceeds the manufacturers claimed level of protection. This information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
§ Mr. McCartneyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) how many instances have been identified in each of the last three years for which figures are available of asbestos removal work being carried out by licensed contractors using self-employed operatives who have been required to provide their own respiratory protective equipment; [38059]
(2) what sanctions have been applied to licensed asbestos removal contractors who have been found using self-employed operatives who have been required to provide their own respiratory protective equipment. [38060]
§ Sir Paul BeresfordLicensed asbestos removal contractors cannot require self-employed operatives to provide their own respiratory protective equipment. Where self-employed operatives voluntarily provide their own respiratory protective equipment the licensed contractor, as duty holder under the Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations 1987, remains responsible for ensuring that the equipment is suitable for the work to be undertaken, taking into account the approved code of practice.
§ Mr. McCartneyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what work is being carried out to monitor the Health and Safety Executive's July 1992 initiative to reduce exposure to asbestos dust during the removal of asbestos insulation; and if he will make a statement. [38065]
514W(2) what evidence he has of reduced exposure to asbestos dust during the removal of asbestos insulation since July 1992; [38066]
(3) what progress has been made on reduced exposure to asbestos by measures other than the use of respiratory protective equipment since July 1992. [38068]
§ Sir Paul BeresfordThe Health and Safety Executive does not hold quantitative data on the progress made in reducing exposure to asbestos by measures other than the use of respiratory protective equipment since July 1992.
Licensed asbestos removal contractors are required to provide the appropriate enforcing authority with written notification of the proposed work entailing the removal of asbestos insulation or asbestos coating. On the notification form, the licensed asbestos removal contractor is required to specify the dust suppression or dust control technique to be used. Where dust suppression methods—controlled wet stripping—are not to be used, that decision has to be justified to the satisfaction of the enforcing authority which can monitor the action being taken by the contractor in accordance with the July 1992 initiative.
§ Mr. McCartneyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) how many cases have been identified, in each of the last three years for which figures are available, of operatives directly employed by licensed asbestos removal contractors who are not under medical surveillance; [38050]
(2) how many cases have been identified, in each of the last three years for which figures are available, of operatives directly employed by licensed asbestos removal contractors who have not been medically examined within the preceding two years. [38051]
§ Sir Paul BeresfordThis information requested is not centrally available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
§ Mr. McCartneyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many contractors have been(a) sanctioned and (b) fined for asking little attempt to use effective dust suppression or dust control measures and relying on respirators to protect against high levels of respirable dust, since July 1992; and what is the average level of fine. [38054]
§ Sir Paul BeresfordThis information requested is not centrally available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
§ Mr. McCartneyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how much money has been spent on publicity to increase awareness of the risks of casual exposure to asbestos since the publication of the Health and Safety Executive statement on asbestos 1994. [38070]
§ Sir Paul BeresfordIn February this year HSE launched a major campaign to raise awareness of the risks of casual exposure to asbestos and of the appropriate precautions which should be taken when working with it. A total of £227,700 was spent on national newspaper and trade journal advertising alone. A low-cost telephone order line and the production and distribution of more than 250,000 free leaflets and pocket cards cost a further £244,000.
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§ Mr. McCartneyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what approaches have been made to employers' associations and trade unions to participate in a joint publicity drive to highlight the risks of casual exposure to asbestos as outlined in the HSE statement on asbestos 1994. [38053]
§ Sir Paul BeresfordTrade unions and employers' associations have been involved in HSE's asbestos awareness campaign, through the usual channel of the Health and Safety Commission's advisory committees, and in particular the Health and Safety Commission's construction industry advisory committee. In addition, HSE recently sought the help of all local authorities to ensure that workers and contractors involved in building maintenance are aware of the risks of exposure to asbestos dust.
§ Mr. McCartneyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what sanctions are applied to contractors who make little or no attempt to use effective dust suppression or dust control measures and rely on respirators to protect against high levels of respiratory dust. [38069]
§ Sir Paul BeresfordIf standards of health and safety are not adequate, health and safety inspectors have the statutory power to serve improvement or prohibition notices, or prosecute duty holders. The Health and Safety Executive may revoke a licence if an asbestos removal contractor is convicted of an offence of failing to discharge a duty relating to work with asbestos insulation or asbestos coating to which he is subject by any health and safety legislation.
§ Mr. McCartneyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what progress has been made on reducing the risk of heat stress during the removal of insulation from hot plant and pipework, since the publication of the Health and Safety Executive's guidance note EH 57, "The problems of Asbestos Removal at High Temperatures" in December 1992. [38067]
§ Sir Paul BeresfordThe Health and Safety Executive has not undertaken a formal assessment of the impact of the advice contained in guidance note EH 57.
§ Mr. McCartneyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many prosecutions have been taken by the Health and Safety Executive to enforce asbestos regulations since the publication of the HSE Statement on Asbestos-1994, and what was the corresponding number of prosecutions taken in the preceding period covering the same time span. [38071]
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Dorset County Council SSA (unadjusted for changes in function) SSA Element 1990–91 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 Education £ million 157.560 184.435 200.117 185.549 191.515 197.952 Percentage change — +17.1 +8.5 -7.3 +3.2 +3.4 Percentage adjusted1 — +17.1 +8.5 +4.4 +3.2 +1.1 Per Social Services £ million 43.495 53.506 57.420 59.481 68.427 77.623 Percentage change — +23.0 +7.3 +3.6 +15.0 +13.4 Percentage adjusted1 — +23.0 +7.3 +3.6 -1.4 +0.2
§ Sir Paul BeresfordThe Health and Safety Executive's statement on asbestos was published in September 1994. Details of informations laid by Health and Safety Executive inspectors alleging contravention of the Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations 1987, the Asbestos (Licensing) Regulations 1983 or the Asbestos (Prohibitions) Regulations 1992 are given in the table. Statistics from April 1995 have not yet been compiled.
Period Number of months Number of informations 1 August 1993 to 31 August 1994 13 152 1 September 1993 to 31 March 1994 7 31 1 September 1994 to 31 March 1995 7 127 1 Provisional: Statistics for April 1994 to March 1995 not yet verified.