§ Mr. CoxTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions she has had with the Zimbabwe Government on the production of asbestos in that country and on their policy towards the protection of(a) workers employed in that industry and (b) the surrounding environment. [51866]
§ Mr. FoulkesAsbestos production and its effect on workers or the environment have not been raised in the Department for International Development ministerial or officials' discussions with the Zimbabwe government. However, since 1996 the Department for International Development has been funding a research project in Zimbabwe to develop alternatives to asbestos sheets as roofing materials.