Asbestos

HC Deb 21 February 1985 vol 73 cc574-5W

Mr. Wilson

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list (a) district councils in Scotland which have received central Government funds for the purpose of asbestos removal programmes, (b) how much each council received and (c) which councils have (i) embarked upon and (ii) completed such programmes.

Mr. Ancram

Capital allocations to individual local authorities are not earmaked for specific purposes. No district councils have therefore received funds allocated for asbestos works per se. In a block allocation system each authority is free to programme the resources available to it, as it sees fit.

Mr. McTaggart

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the Scottish local authorities which maintain a register showing the location and condition of asbestos-containing materials in buildings for which they are responsible.

Mr. Ancram

All district councils were asked in 1983 to bring their records of the use of asbestos in any part of their housing stocks up to date. I do not, however, hold information centrally.

Mr. McTaggart

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will detail the allowances made in the capital allocations to Scottish local authorities in the current year and next year for asbestos treatment work which he judges to be necessary.

Mr. Ancram

In determining the level of capital allocations to individual local authorities we have paid close attention to planned expenditure on asbestos treatment, as set out in their forward capital programmes, but have not earmarked fixed sums within the allocations for this purpose. Programming of the resources made available is left to authorities' own judgment.

Mr. McTaggart

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is his assessment of the necessary asbestos treatment work local authorities in Scotland should carry out in the current year and in each of the next three years.

Mr. Ancram

Local authorities are themselves best placed to examine their own building stocks and, with the help of guidance which has been issued by the Scottish Development Department, to assess the nature and phasing of any necessary asbestos treatment.