§ Mr. Michieasked the Secretary of State for Employment what role monitoring of organisations to which licences have been issued under the Asbestos (Licensing) Regulations 1983 plays in the maintenance of safety in asbestos stripping operations.
§ Mr. Peter BottomleyLicensees required to notify contracts have been advising enforcement authorities of their jobs in advance.
The majority of visits by enforcement authorities are made before the work of asbestos removal starts, which meets the intention behind the requirement for 28 days' notification. Inspectors can them satisfy themselves that the work will be done in accordance with the approved code of practice and guidance note on work with asbestos insulation and asbestos coating.
Some visits are made during the stripping work. Inspectors can then check whether the approved code is being observed during the work. I am advised by the chairman of the Health and Safety Commission that this allows the enforcing authorities to identify those licensees who work well, and those who do not. The hon. Member will be aware of recent publicity following a prosecution in the Warrington area; other prosecutions have taken place.
§ Mr. Michieasked the Secretary of State for Employment why a requirement to notify the Health and Safety Executive prior to asbestos removal operations was imposed by a majority of the licences issued under the Asbestos (Licensing) Regulations 1983.
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§ Mr. Peter BottomleyTo ensure that the Health and Safety Executive is aware of those contractors who carry out work with asbestos insulation, the conditior of prior notification is included on most licences. This is in accordance with the recommendations in the first report of the advisory committee on asbestos, "Asbestos: work on thermal and acoustic insulation and sprayed coatings".
§ Mr. Michieasked the Secretary of State for Employment how many enforcement notices have been issued against asbestos removal organisations for each of the Health and Safety Executive's 21 areas up to 31 October 1984 following site visits made to asbestos removal operations.
§ Mr. Peter BottomleyThe Asbestos (Licensing) Regulations 1983 came into effect on 1 August 1984. From that date, until 31 October 1984, the number of enforcement notices issued, by HSE areas, is as follows:
Number Area 03: South-East 15 Area 05: London North-East 1 Area 06: London South 2 Area 08: Northern Home Counties 6 Area 09: East Midlands 1 Area 14: South Yorkshire and Humberside 3 Area 16: Greater Manchester 5 Area 17: Merseyside 1 Area 18: North-West 1 Area 19: North-East 5 Area 20: Scotland East 15 No enforcement notices have been issued in the remaining 10 areas.
§ Mr. Michieasked the Secretary of State for Employment why, for the period up to 31 December 1984, the proportion of asbestos removal jobs notified to Health and Safety Executive area offices as a result of requirements imposed on removal organisations by licences issued under the Asbestos (Licensing) Regulations 1983 which have received site visits Varies as between 4.8 per cent. in Health and Safety Executive area 2, 8.6 per cent. in area 3, 12.8 per cent. in area 7, 35.8 per cent. in area 15, 59.4 per cent. in area 12 and 72.3 per cent. in area 20.
§ Mr. Peter BottomleyFigures are available only up to 31 October 1984. Variations in response to notifications are the result of several factors. Many of the contracts notified were of very short duration, and of low risk, so that a visit by an inspector was not needed.
In some areas many notifications came from a small number of contractors who were well known to inspectors. This meant that relatively few visits were necessary to deal with a large number of notifications. In one area, for example, seven licensees sent in about two thirds of the notifications. Some unnecessary notifications were sent by contractors during the early period of operation of the new procedures and these did not merit investigation.