§ Mr. Donald Stewartasked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to publish the report by the Water Research Centre on the use of asbestos cement water mains.
§ Mr. WaldegraveThe water research centre will publish in a technical report in the Spring of this year results of the survey it conducted for the Department on asbestos in water supplies, including some water supplies drawn from asbestos cement distribution systems. Overall, the results showed that the levels of asbestos fibres in water in the United Kingdom were low, being comparable with those from more extensive studies in the United States and Canada.
I am advised that there is no evidence that the levels of asbestos found in water in the United Kingdom are a risk to health.