§ Mr. Tom Coxasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the policy of Her Majesty's Government on the use of asbestos in new buildings.
§ Sir George YoungThe Government's policy is based on the recommendations of the report of the advisory committee on asbestos published in 1976. This recommended a ban on the use of a number of asbestos-containing materials in buildings. Most of these materials are no longer used and a consultative document which includes proposals to prohibit such materials will be published shortly by the Health and Safety Commission. Not all uses of asbestos in buildings can or should be banned. Many uses do not represent a significant hazard to the occupants and there are no cost-effective substitutes for some uses. The Government have encouraged and will continue to encourage the development of substitutes and welcome the considerable progress already made by industry. The Department's advice booklet "Asbestos materials in buildings" draws attention to the range of substitutes available. The Government expect the use of asbestos products in buildings to continue to decline as more substitutes are developed, but do not rule out legislation on specific products in the future, probably in concert with our European partners.