The political furore over crumbling concrete in schools and hospitals has led to fears that putting things right could in turn generate an ‘asbestos crisis’, with an MP calling for a national asbestos register to be created.
The full extent of the problem around reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) in public buildings, especially schools and hospitals, is still to become clear. The crisis led to many schools being forced to close parts or all of their estate just before the beginning of the new school year.
But the need to inspect and potentially carry out remedial work on many public buildings as a result has led to warnings this could create a knock-on “asbestos crisis”, as more of the material is found in buildings during the inspection process or, even worse, disturbed.
The Conservative MP Andrew Percy has introduced a private members’ bill calling for the creation of a national register of public buildings containing asbestos, following a Westminster Hall debate led by Jane Hunt MP, Conservative MP for Loughborough.
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Introducing the bill, Percy, MP Brigg and Goole, said: “I represent an area with many former steelworkers, power station workers, dockers and a few miners, so respiratory industrial disease is an issue that I know well, including from my close family.
“Increasingly, the disease is not restricted to roles that involved directly installing material with asbestos; it also affects those who work in buildings with asbestos, such as teachers.
“Indeed, teachers are more likely to die from mesothelioma than the general public –sadly, I have heard examples of that from my constituents. A 2019 Government survey found that 80.9% of participating schools had asbestos on their estate, and although most had a plan for dealing with it, that figure speaks for itself,” he added.
Without government support to allow it Parliamentary time, the bill is unlikely to become a reality, but the move does nevertheless put a spotlight on the issue.
At the start of this year, research by the Labour Research Department concluded that two-thirds of surveyed NHS premises and buildings in London and Scotland still contain asbestos, despite its use being banned 23 years ago.
The charity Mesothelioma UK, meanwhile, has said it is leading on a study to assess the costs and benefits of removing asbestos from UK buildings.
The project, which will be delivered by Landman Economics, is supported by two industry bodies, the Asbestos Testing and Consultancy Association and the Asbestos Removal Contractors Assocation, and the Airtight on Asbestos Campaign.
Liz Darlison, chief executive of Mesothelioma UK, said: “This is an important and much-needed piece of work to analyse the costs and potential benefits of removing asbestos from the public estate, including our schools and hospitals.
“It is our hope that the findings of this study will provide compelling evidence for a future government to act-upon – and commit to – a national plan for the phased removal of asbestos from all buildings in the UK.”
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The research will estimate the costs of a phased removal programme and identify potential savings to the government through the reduction in compensation pay-outs to victims of asbestos-related diseases, and the reduction in costs of medical treatment and care for patients.
The aim is to produce this study in time for the Autumn Statement in November, and to use the findings to inform the manifestos of the leading parties in the next general election in 2024, the charity has added.
