§ 37. Mr. Barry Jonesasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he is satisfied that the law requires all proper precautions to be taken to ensure the safety of workers in proximity to asbestos.
§ Mr. GummerThe exposure of workers to asbestos is already controlled by the Asbestos Regulaations 1969 and the relevant provisions of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. However, three new legislative initiatives which will provide additional control are under way. First, we are considering new regulations governing the licensing of work with asbestos insulation and asbestos coating which we intend to lay before Parliament shortly.
Secondly the Health and Safety Commission has recently agreed the issue of a consultative document containing proposals for regulations to prohibit the importation, marketing and use of blue asbestos — crocidolite — and brown asbestos—amosite — together with products containing them and to prohibit asbestos spraying and asbestos insulation. The Consultative document will be published in the near future with the aim of introducing legislation by June 1984.
Third, new legislation to implement the remaining requirements of two recently adopted European Community Directives on asbestos is in preparation. The HSC intend to issue a consultative document early next year, with a view to submitting draft regulations for my consideration by the end of that year.