ETERNIT, SAINT-GOBAIN IN BRAZIL AND ASBESTOS

Early day motion 356, tabled 24 February 1999 by Michael Clapham (Labour). Signed by 35 members.

That this House is appalled by the action of Eternit Brazil, a company owned and controlled by the French multi-national Saint-Gobain and Eternit Switzerland, who have brought a court action against Labour Inspector Engineer Fernando Gianaisi because she has criticised the company's policy and their cynical attempt to use the offer of a miserly ex-gracia payment to former employees suffering from asbestosis as a lever against an asbestos ban by seeking to terminate their obligation to the victims through a forfeit clause if Brazil should outlaw the material; and requests that Her Majesty's Government through the EU do all that it can to bring pressure to bear on the company to drop this scandalous action.

Signatures by party: Labour 29, Liberal Democrat 4, Labour/Co-operative 1, UUP 1.