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Northern Ireland Office

Answer

Mr. Martyn Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment his Department had made of the presence of (a) hazardous materials and (b) ozone-depleting substances within those buildings his Department occupies; and if he will make a statement. [16313] Mr. Moss: The policy statement on green housekeeping for all Northern Ireland Departments published in March 1993 requires the removal of all materials containing asbestos products from Northern Ireland civil service buildings whenever they present a hazard and also requires the use of alternative materials in all future building projects carried out for the service. It also requires that the use of products containing chlorofluorocarbons, halons, carbon tetrachloride or 1.1.1. trichloroethane are eliminated in the Northern Ireland civil service. Additionally, suppliers of goods and services are required to comply with the guidance set out in the publication "Selling to Government" produced by the Department of Environment. This contains specifications about hazardous materials and ozone-depleting substances and all Departments are obliged to comply with these requirements. Departments have in place safety management systems which promote the concept of risk assessment. Within this system, premises are assessed for hazardous materials. Specific assessments include compliance with: 1. COSHH Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1995. 2. Asbestos Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1988. The assessments are reviewed on an annual or bi-annual basis to ensure that they are valid. The policy of NI Departments on ozone-depleting substances is that they are no longer purchased and that they be reduced and ultimately their use in government buildings eliminated. Fire extinguishers containing halon are being removed, disposed of safely and replaced with ozone-friendly alternatives. There is a programme of replacement of fridges and freezers which contain CFCs and only CFC-free insulation materials are used.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

16313; 291 c239-40W

Session

1996-97

Subjects

Central government Buildings Chlorofluorocarbons Government departments Hazardous substances Ozone layer Northern Ireland Office