§ Dr. Godmanasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what contingency plans there are to deal with the possibility of a spillage of the asbestos-contaminated materials being taken from Faslane to Greenock during their transportation by barge across the Clyde estuary.
§ Sir George YoungThe Health and Safety Executive and the Property Services Agency are satisfied that the contractor's proposed method of transporting the material across the Clyde estuary is such that no contingency plans are necessary to guard against the possibility of spillage during the voyage.
§ Dr. Godmanasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what training has been given to the workers who will be handling asbestos-contaminated materials from Faslane.
§ Sir George YoungThe contractor's workers handling contaminated material at Faslane were given a special training course to ensure that they were fully conversant with relevant legislation and the approved working arrangements. Once the waste has been properly sealed on site it may be regarded as a clean cargo and the Clyde port authority has confirmed that it does not consider any special training is required for its workers who will handle it at Greenock.
§ Dr. Godmanasked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether the contractor engaged to carry out the removal of the asbestos-contaminated materials from Faslane is a member of the Asbestos Removal Contractors Association.
§ Sir George YoungNo. Membership is voluntary and not all firms belong. The important point is that the selected contractor has been granted a licence by the Health and Safety Executive to remove asbestos and is additionally required by the PSA to employ a subcontractor specialising in asbestos removal to advise on and supervise his methods of operation.
§ Mr. Tom Clarkeasked the Secretary of State for the Environment, further to his reply to the hon. Member for Greenock and Port Glasgow (Dr. Godman) on 13 May, Official Report, column 26, what public bodies were consulted about the transportation of asbestos contaminated material from Faslane; what form the consultation took; and how they responded.
§ Sir George Young[pursuant to his reply, 23 May 1985, c. 506]: There have been regular consultations with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) who gave formal approval on 26 April to a document setting out the method by which the removal of the lightly contaminated material would be effected (the "method statement"). In addition, the following public bodies were consulted either by the Property Services Agency (PSA) of my Department or by its contractor, and their responses were as shown:
DUMBARTON DISTRICT COUNCIL
51WThe contractor sent his proposed method statement to the council on 2 April. There was a meeting on 26 April with the contractor, MOD and PSA under the chairmanship of the environmental health officer. Factual questions on the method statement were answered. PSA offered the environmental health officer site access with the HSE and also offered to make available to the council the results of dust level monitoring on the site.STRATHCLYDE REGIONAL COUNCIL
PSA officials met officers of the council's Department of Roads on 5 March. The department of roads confirmed that it had no objection in a letter dated 6 March. Further information, including the method statement, was sent by letter on 24 April. Subsequent correspondence took up detailed points from the Department of Roads.INVERCLYDE DISTRICT COUNCIL
The contractor met the environmental health officer of this council on 18 April and a copy of the method statement was sent on 19 April. A site visit was offered to the environmental health officer. There was a written request to PSA for clarification of the extent of site contamination and this was replied to on 15 May. A member of the council wrote to PSA on 8 May suggesting that there had been a lack of consultation: a reply sent on 17 May informed him of the consultations that had taken place.CLYDE PORT AUTHORITY
The contrator met with the authority on 9 April to discuss arrangements for the transit of the material, and subsequent telephone calls clarified handling and monitoring arrangements. The method statement was sent on 18 April and the authority has been satisfied with the arrangements.MONKLANDS DISTRICT COUNCIL
The contractor mentioned his interest in tendering for the Faslane work to this council's environmental health officials at a regular meeting on 7 November 1984. No objection was raised. His method statement was sent on 22 April and was discussed at a meeting on 29 April. A further meeting took place with the council and also with Glenboig community council on 22 May both of whom have expressed concern about the use of the Glenboig licensed tip for the deposit of this material.STRATHCLYDE POLICE
A police representative was present at the meeting with the Strathclyde regional council's department of roads on 5 March. The police were sent copies of the transport and emergency arrangements sections of the method statement and they have since arranged a contact point with the contractor.
- CLYDEBANK DISTRICT COUNCIL
- GLASGOW DISTRICT COUNCIL
- RENFREW DISTRICT COUNCIL
- STRATHKELVIN DISTRICT COUNCIL
These local authorities were each sent copies of the transport and emergency arrangements sections of the method statement, copies of the HSE letter of formal approval and copies of route maps on 8 May.