20th Anniversary of the Banning of Asbestos
Victims of asbestos met in Liverpool on Saturday 19th October 2019 to mark the 20th Anniversary of the UK asbestos ban on the same day Parliament decided to delay Brexit.
The Merseyside Asbestos Victims Support Group (MAVSG) have raised concerns with their Honorary President, Steve Rotheram, Metro Mayor for Liverpool that any trade deals post Brexit, may breach current EU legislation banning asbestos in the wake of a deal or no deal outcome of the continuing uncertainty of the Brexit debate. Rotheram wrote to Andrea Leadson, Business Secretary in August asking for a “guarantee that any trade deal negotiated with any country, and specifically the USA, does not allow the importation of asbestos, in items containing asbestos – such as automotive parts.”
Leadson replied that the issue had been sent to the post Brexit government department to reply.
John Flanagan, Support Officer for MAVSG said “I am astonished that the government failed to respond to the call to stop any asbestos imports into the UK, I don’t think there is a member of parliament or indeed anyone who would want to see this deadly material re-introduced into the UK and set forth another era of devastating deaths for future generations which would follow.”
The meeting called for all political parties to commit to no more asbestos imports and will be writing to them in the following weeks.