PROPOSED BAN ON WHITE ASBESTOS

Early day motion 331, tabled 16 February 1999 by Michael Clapham (Labour). Signed by 59 members.

That this House is most concerned that, despite all the evidence from European and United Kingdom scientific bodies, Canada still maintains that white asbestos is less dangerous to human health than appropriate substitutes and disregards the evidence from the records of the Canadian mining company, Johns Manville, whose personal injury settlement trust pays compensation for product liability and has records showing a total of 387,000 claims on file, including 242,051 for asbestosis and 16,132 for mesothelioma, which illustrates the cynical indifference shown by the Canadian Reference to the World Trade Organisation asking them to rule against the French ban; and urges the United Kingdom Government to go ahead with a unilateral ban if a European one fails to materialise in the near future.

Signatures by party: Labour 46, Labour/Co-operative 5, Liberal Democrat 5, Plaid Cymru 2, UUP 1.