Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, as part of the NHS Prevention Programme, what steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help ensure the safe (a) management and (b) removal of asbestos from (i) schools and (ii) hospitals.

The Government provided £4.2 billion capital last financial year for the National Health Service to support local priorities, including to maintain and refurbish their premises, and a further £8.4 billion will be available over this financial year and next.

NHS England continues to work with trusts to ensure their estates are a safe environment for patients and staff. Where asbestos may pose a safety risk, such as when disturbed during building works, experts are brought in to dispose of it safely.