Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill on asbestos-related legislation; and if he will make a statement.

The regulatory framework for asbestos is provided by the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012. The Regulations cover all work with asbestos that could give rise to exposure and outline controls which must be in place to prevent exposure occurring.

With the introduction of the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) remains focused on ensuring that regulatory frameworks maintain the United Kingdom’s high standards of health and safety protection and continue to reduce burdens for business. HSE’s approach aligns closely with the Government’s pledge to do more for business to help promote growth by removing disproportionate burdens and simplifying the regulatory landscape. Our standards of health and safety protections are among the highest in the world. HSE will continue to review its retained EU Law to seek opportunities to reduce business burdens and promote growth without reducing health and safety standards.