Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what his policy is on the removal of asbestos from public buildings.

Under the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012, responsibility for managing the risk from asbestos in non-domestic (including public) buildings rests with the individual duty holder. This is the owner or person with responsibility for maintaining the building. The duty holder must assess for the presence of asbestos and put in place a plan to manage any resulting risk. This includes: monitoring the condition of asbestos-containing materials; arranging for repair or enclosure/encapsulation if required; or, in those cases where the assessment shows this to be necessary, arranging for their safe removal.