§ Mr. RandallTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment what progress she has made towards banning all grades of asbestos; what discussions she has had at an EC level on this matter; and if she will make a statement.
§ Mr. McLoughlinThe importation, supply and use of the two types of asbestos most commonly associated with 653W disease—crocidolite (blue asbestos) and amosite (brown asbestos)—has been prohibited in the United Kingdom since 1986, although they have not been imported since 1972 and 1980 respectively. Since 1 January 1993, three further types of asbestos have been prohibited though these were not used commercially in the United Kingdom.
Chrysotile (white asbestos) is now the only type of asbestos allowed into the United Kingdom. Imports have dropped significantly in recent years and are now less than 10,000 tonnes annually. Negotiations are currently in progress on a European Community draft directive to ban chrysotile but with exemptions for certain uses. The Government are keen to avoid this resulting in the replacement chrysotile with substitutes which may be less safe, and support the proposed directive provided that exemptions are based on the relative risks of chrysotile and substitute materials in any particular application.