Asked by: Rachel Reeves (Labour - Leeds West and Pudsey)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the accuracy of information provided by (a) schools, (b) local authorities and (c) academy trusts in response to freedom of information requests related to asbestos exposure.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Department takes the issue of asbestos in schools very seriously. We have recently updated and improved our published guidance for schools, which clearly states that if accidental exposure to asbestos has occurred, the duty holder must inform the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). The HSE may investigate if major issues are raised where a duty holder’s compliance with their legal duties is called into question.
We also recently carried out a data collection in schools on how they manage asbestos to understand how they were complying with their duties, and have published the findings. We plan to seek further assurances from duty holders to ensure that asbestos management is compliant with legislation and guidance across their education estates.
Asked by: Rachel Reeves (Labour - Leeds West and Pudsey)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the Education Funding Agency plans to carry out asbestos surveys where further investigations are warranted ahead of the purchases of new school buildings.
Answered by Edward Timpson
Where management or other prior surveys are available, the Education Funding Agency (EFA) will consider these before acquisition. Depending on the type and scale of works, the EFA will also carry out more intrusive surveys, where landlord’s consent can be obtained.
Asked by: Rachel Reeves (Labour - Leeds West and Pudsey)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when she expects the findings from the Education Funding Agency's 2016 data collection on asbestos management in schools to be published.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Department is intending to publish the findings from the Education Funding Agency data collection on asbestos management in schools as early as possible in the new year.
Asked by: Rachel Reeves (Labour - Leeds West and Pudsey)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will publish the findings of the Asbestos data collection in schools exercise completed by the Education Funding Agency in March 2016.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Department is intending to publish the findings from the Education Funding Agency (EFA) data collection, on asbestos management in schools.
Last year, we published a comprehensive review of asbestos in schools and we are implementing its findings, working with the Health and Safety Executive and others.
Asked by: Rachel Reeves (Labour - Leeds West and Pudsey)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of schools that responded to the Education Funding Agency's 2016 Asbestos data collection had asbestos on site.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Department is intending to publish the findings from the Education Funding Agency (EFA) data collection, on asbestos management in schools.
Last year, we published a comprehensive review of asbestos in schools and we are implementing its findings, working with the Health and Safety Executive and others.
Asked by: Rachel Reeves (Labour - Leeds West and Pudsey)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of the schools that responded to the Education Funding Agency's 2016 asbestos in schools data collection exercise have had an asbestos management survey carried out for buildings which may contain asbestos.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Department is intending to publish the findings from the Education Funding Agency (EFA) data collection, on asbestos management in schools.
Last year, we published a comprehensive review of asbestos in schools and we are implementing its findings, working with the Health and Safety Executive and others.
Asked by: Rachel Reeves (Labour - Leeds West and Pudsey)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of the schools that responded to the Education Funding Agency's 2016 asbestos in schools data collection exercise have an asbestos register.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Department is intending to publish the findings from the Education Funding Agency (EFA) data collection, on asbestos management in schools.
Last year, we published a comprehensive review of asbestos in schools and we are implementing its findings, working with the Health and Safety Executive and others.
Asked by: Rachel Reeves (Labour - Leeds West and Pudsey)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of the schools that responded to the Education Funding Agency's 2016 asbestos in schools data collection exercise have an asbestos management plan.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Department is intending to publish the findings from the Education Funding Agency (EFA) data collection, on asbestos management in schools.
Last year, we published a comprehensive review of asbestos in schools and we are implementing its findings, working with the Health and Safety Executive and others.
Asked by: Rachel Reeves (Labour - Leeds West and Pudsey)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of schools that responded to the Education Funding Agency's 2016 asbestos data collection have a procedure in place detailing control measures required to prevent disturbance of any known asbestos-containing materials.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Department is intending to publish the findings from the Education Funding Agency (EFA) data collection, on asbestos management in schools.
Last year, we published a comprehensive review of asbestos in schools and we are implementing its findings, working with the Health and Safety Executive and others.
Asked by: Rachel Reeves (Labour - Leeds West and Pudsey)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of schools that responded to the Education Funding Agency's 2016 asbestos data collection have a process in place to ensure that people who disturb asbestos in a school, including building contractors and those performing activities such as IT installations, receive information on the potential presence of asbestos.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Department is intending to publish the findings from the Education Funding Agency (EFA) data collection, on asbestos management in schools.
Last year, we published a comprehensive review of asbestos in schools and we are implementing its findings, working with the Health and Safety Executive and others.