Source · Select Committees · Work and Pensions Committee
Recommendation 1
1
Paragraph: 14
Asbestos-related illness is one of the great workplace tragedies of modern times.
Conclusion
Asbestos-related illness is one of the great workplace tragedies of modern times. Extensive use of asbestos in the twentieth century accounts for many thousands of deaths. The extreme exposures of the mid- to late twentieth century may be behind us, but its legacy lives on. Asbestos remains in many of our buildings. The current five-yearly statutory review of the asbestos regulations is an opportune moment for us to assess whether the regulatory framework—and HSE’s contribution to this—is working as effectively as it might.
Paragraph Reference:
14
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government
Acknowledged
HSE’s Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 (CAR) Post Implementation Review (PIR) will be published later this year. HSE has considered whether any of the inquiry findings are relevant to the scope and evidence which was gathered as part of the PIR. The rules governing how PIRs are completed are set out in the Treasury’s Magenta Book supplementary guidance for conducting regulatory PIRs. The guidance states that the PIR: ‘…seeks to establish whether, and to what extent, the measure: • has achieved its original objectives as set out in the original Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA), • has resulted in any unintended effects, • has objectives which are still valid, • is still required and remains the best option for achieving those objectives; and • can be improved to reduce the burden on business and its overall costs.’ Given the scope of the PIR, and the areas considered during the research phase in 2021, only some of the inquiry findings will be linked to this work. However, HSE is developing its plan of work to take forward areas from the PIR and will consider using recommendations from the inquiry to inform this work.