Cenric Clement-Evans

Secretary of the Cross-Party Group on Asbestos

Helmont House

Churchill Way

Cardiff

CF10 2HE

23 November 2017

Dear Cenric

Asbestos petition

Following sight of the letter from the Cabinet Secretary for Education to the Chair of the Petitions Committee on 03 November 2017, I would like to enter this correspondence from the British Lung Foundation into the debate.

Whilst we were pleased by some aspects of the letter there were other areas that left unanswered questions and we would like to query it.

Data collection

We were pleased to hear that local authorities will be required to report on asbestos in their school condition survey report. This is a positive development but were concerned that there are ‘no plans for … officials to share the data.’ Whilst we appreciate the need not to create alarm we feel this should be published so that the public are aware of the risks to lung health as result of the asbestos.

Asbestos in Schools Working Group

We were pleased to learn that the Asbestos in Schools Working Group will meet to consider recent developments in England, but we still remain concerned about the membership of this body. We believe (and this is view is supported by colleagues in the Cross-Party Group on Asbestos) that the group would be strengthened if there was representation from Governors Wales, teaching unions, the third sector and others. The commitment to involve key stakeholder groups as necessary appears slightly ambiguous, so we would like to see this group opened out as many other working groups have been.

I hope these views can be recorded appropriately. Thank you for all of your work to keep this important issue on the agenda.

Yours sincerely,

Joseph Carter

Head of Wales / Pennaeth Cymru

British Lung Foundation - Wales