§ Dr. CableTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much has been spent by his Department and its agencies on(a) asbestos surveys and (b) the management and removal of asbestos since 1 January 2001; and what budget is available to (i) commission asbestos surveys and (ii) manage and remove asbestos from buildings in (A) 2003 and (B) 2004. [130919]
§ Fiona MactaggartNo central records are kept on the costs and budgets for asbestos surveys or the management and removal of asbestos. This information could be obtained only at disproportionate costs. However, we can more readily provide information on the costs that the Prison Service have incurred in undertaking asbestos surveys and the necessary remedial work.
Since July 2001, the Prison Service has spent £1.85 million to manage their asbestos strategy, which has included undertaking surveys to identify the location and condition of asbestos on the prison estate and establish the risks. Since May 2002, the Prison Service has spent a further £1.7 million on remedial work on managing and removing asbestos where this was identified as being necessary by the surveys. In addition, asbestos will have been removed as part of various works projects to refurbish, demolish or upgrade existing accommodation. These costs would have been recorded in the relevant individual capital schemes and could be extracted only at a disproportionate cost. The Prison Service has a further £300,000 allocated for additional remedial work for the remainder of this financial year.