Asked by: Hywel Williams (Plaid Cymru - Arfon)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will discuss the outcome of her Department's review of asbestos policy for schools with the Minister for Education and Skills in the Welsh Government when that review is complete.
Answered by David Laws
The responsibility for the management of asbestos in schools in Wales is devolved to the Welsh Government. The Department for Education has undertaken a review of its policy on asbestos management in schools and will be happy to share the outcomes of that work with the Welsh Government when it is complete.
Asked by: Hywel Williams (Plaid Cymru - Arfon)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of the number of former pupils who will be diagnosed with mesothelioma from asbestos exposure at school during the 1960s and 1970s.
Answered by David Laws
The Department for Education is not aware of data on the number of former pupils who may be diagnosed with mesothelioma as a result of asbestos exposure at school.
Asked by: Hywel Williams (Plaid Cymru - Arfon)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if her Department will adopt and implement environmental asbestos fibre board for schools.
Answered by David Laws
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is responsible for policy on the regulation of asbestos, and provides guidance on effective asbestos management.[1]
The Department for Education has undertaken a review of its policy on asbestos management in schools and will publish the results shortly.
[1] www.hse.gov.uk/asbestos/detail.htm
Asked by: Hywel Williams (Plaid Cymru - Arfon)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if her Department will issue guidance on removing asbestos insulating board which is vulnerable to disturbance or damage from children.
Answered by David Laws
The Department for Education has undertaken a review of its policy on asbestos in schools, which will be published shortly.
The advice for schools on effective asbestos management is based on guidance from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). HSE recommend that, if asbestos is undamaged and unlikely to be disturbed, then it is usually safer to leave it in place and to manage it as required by the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012. If asbestos is found to be in an unsealed, damaged or poor condition, then it should be repaired, sealed, enclosed or removed by trained personnel.
Asked by: Hywel Williams (Plaid Cymru - Arfon)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when her Department last reviewed its guidance on assessing the risks from asbestos insulating board accessible to children in schools.
Answered by David Laws
The Department for Education has undertaken a review of guidance relating to asbestos in schools as part of a wider review of asbestos management in schools, the results of which will be published shortly.
Asked by: Hywel Williams (Plaid Cymru - Arfon)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, by what means her Department assessed the extra costs incurred in maintaining and refurbishing the school stock because of the presence of asbestos in its Property Data Survey Programme.
Answered by David Laws
The Property Data Survey (PDS) was a high-level, visual survey of the school estate. It did not take account of asbestos, which would only be apparent with an invasive survey. PDS has not been used to make an assessment of any costs associated with the presence of asbestos.