§ Malcolm BruceTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to his answer of 12 March 2004,Official Report, column 1795W, on asbestos, what 1438W proportion of the asbestos identified in buildings occupied by his Department's staff was the (a) chrysotile and (b) amphibole form of asbestos. [176787]
§ Jane KennedyAlthough information is available in respect of all the Departments buildings in which asbestos has been identified, a global breakdown of the types of asbestos is not yet maintained centrally. It is anticipated that this information can be provided once the current piece of work to populate a database is fully complete, in late summer. Nonetheless, the Department and its predecessors have done everything possible to prevent any exposure to asbestos and have been proactive in identifying buildings containing the substance and either sealing or removing the asbestos, as necessary.