Commons Sense

House of Commons · Westminster Hall

Asbestos Removal: Non-domestic Buildings

18 June 2025 · 4 other contributors · 4,086 words

Opened by Emma Lewell Lab South Shields

Responding minister: Sir Stephen Timms

Environment

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Emma Lewell raised concerns about asbestos removal: non-domestic buildings in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.

Key points

  • The UK has one of the highest levels of deaths caused by asbestos exposure, with over 5,000 people dying each year.
  • In South Shields, asbestos-related deaths occur at a higher rate than anywhere else in the United Kingdom.
  • The Government should consider implementing a central asbestos register and mandatory census for building owners to declare asbestos presence or suspicion of it.

Key requests to Government

The Government should act now on asbestos removal from non-domestic buildings and consider implementing a central asbestos register and mandatory census for building owners to declare asbestos presence or suspicion of it.

How the debate unfolded

MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.

Opened the debate

Emma Lewell Lab South Shields

The UK has one of the highest levels of deaths caused by asbestos exposure, with over 5,000 people dying each year. In South Shields, people are dying from asbestos at a higher rate than anywhere else in the United Kingdom. Asbestos-related deaths continue to occur due to its presence in buildings and workplaces.

Other contributors (4)
  • Ian Lavery Lab Blyth and Ashington

    He emphasised that asbestos-related diseases affect not only former industrial workers but also individuals exposed to asbestos in public buildings such as schools, hospitals, and town halls. He cited a statistic of 5,000 deaths per year from mesothelioma. Asked if there are records of children exposed to asbestos in schools, raised concerns about the effectiveness of current arrangements, and questioned the Minister on supporting a case for £10 million research and development funding.

  • Jim Shannon DUP Strangford

    The hon. Member's concerns resonate with his constituency, noting the significant health impact on older generations exposed to asbestos in their working days.

  • Matt Rodda Lab Reading Central

    Supports the need for further investigation and action by the Government to address the issue of asbestos in building stock and commercial properties.

  • Stephen Timms Lab Cambridge

    Responded to questions regarding records of children exposed to asbestos, discussed the challenges in compiling a national register of asbestos, and highlighted efforts towards digitalisation of built environment data. Acknowledges the case for an asbestos-free Great Britain and supports further progress on removing asbestos across the country.

Government Response

Sir Stephen Timms

The Minister for Social Security and Disability

Sir Stephen acknowledged the importance of managing asbestos in buildings through existing regulations but highlighted concerns about the current approach. He noted that while there are around 40,000 notifications of asbestos removal jobs annually, the number of enforcement notices had fallen significantly since 2018-19.

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