HC Deb 17 March 1983 vol 39 cc243-4W
Mrs. Dunwoody

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what conclusive or circumstantial links between asbestos and cancer are known to him; and what investigations his Department has made into these links.

Mr. Kenneth Clarke

Asbestos in air, in large quantities, is an established cause of cancer. The Health and Safety Executive are responsible for the enforcement of safety standards relating to occupational exposure to asbestos. The levels of non-occupational exposure in this country are so very low that no significant risk is likely. Research into this question falls mainly to the Medical Research Council, but the Department and the Welsh Office are supporting one study. Much evidence is published worldwide, and we keep this under scrutiny.