Asked by: Cameron Thomas (Liberal Democrat - Tewkesbury)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of the presence of asbestos at Ashchurch military barracks since 2019.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is committed to the health and safety of our people and we have robust policies in place to safely manage asbestos in Defence in accordance with relevant legislation and Health and Safety Executive guidance. MOD complies with its legal obligation not to construct any new infrastructure containing asbestos and to maintain a risk register for legacy asbestos, treating it as appropriate.
In 2019 routine sampling identified asbestos within buildings on the Ashchurch site. The MOD immediately implemented measures and controls to reduce exposure risk and provide additional safeguards on site. Significant amounts of asbestos have now been removed and work continues to ensure any remaining asbestos is removed or made safe.
Asked by: Cameron Thomas (Liberal Democrat - Tewkesbury)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of asbestos on sites owned by his Department on (a) local communities and (b) surrounding infrastructure.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has robust policies in place to safely manage asbestos in accordance with relevant legislation and Health and Safety Executive guidance.
Where asbestos is being remediated and/ or removed from MOD sites, we notify local residents in accordance with the appropriate legislation.
Asked by: Cameron Thomas (Liberal Democrat - Tewkesbury)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to support people who came to the UK under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The UK has a moral obligation to assist our Afghan friends and allies who served for, with or alongside our Armed Forces in support of UK objectives in Afghanistan. We will honour that moral duty.
The Ministry of Defence (MOD) offers a range of packages for those relocated under the ARAP upon their arrival. This includes transitional accommodation on the Defence Estate, orientation and cultural awareness briefings, safeguarding, and English language support, as well as help to register to access mainstream services (such as the NHS, education, employment, and universal credit). Working with Local Authorities and other Government Departments, the MOD has also supported families in moving into settled accommodation.
This Government is fully committed to delivering on the pledge to those in Afghanistan who are eligible to relocate and resettle, and we continue to welcome these Afghans and their families to the UK through our Afghan resettlement schemes. This is why, as announced by the Secretary of State for Defence on 18 December 2024, we are launching the Afghan Resettlement Programme (ARP), which will draw together a single pipeline for Afghan resettlement, working cross-Government, to deliver greater efficiency and better outcomes.
Further information on the resettlement offer under the ARP can be found at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/afghan-resettlement-programme