§ Mr. PatersonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to recompense hospitals who face major new expenditure, if the proposed new Health and Safety Executive regulations on asbetos come into effect. [39297]
§ Ms Blears[holding answer 1 March 2002]: Regulations to protect against the exposure to asbestos are already in existence. Under the Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations 1987, it is the duty of all employers to prepare risk assessments and make arrangements to protect workers and, in the case of the NHS, patients. The proposed new regulation, which will formalise and expand upon existing regulations, will better protect against the risks of exposure to asbestos by imposing more rigorous management arrangements on employers. The regulations will ensure that where there is evidence of asbestos, it is managed effectively and safely so as not to cause risk of harm to anyone.
Cost analysis of the proposed new regulation indicates that the financial burden on the NHS will not be major. Hospitals will be expected to pay for such work out of their normal running cost allocation budgets.