Workers who develop asbestos-related and dust-related diseases like mesothelioma and pneumoconiosis caused by their work can claim a one-off payment from the Government if they haven’t already secured compensation from their employer.

The Government has no plans to introduce a separate compensation scheme for workers who have suffered from silicosis by inhaling crystalline silica dust from cutting kitchen worktop stones.

Individuals with silicosis may be eligible for financial support through existing arrangements, including a lump-sum payment under the Pneumoconiosis etc. (Workers' Compensation) Act 1979 where the relevant entitlement conditions are met.

As of 1st September 2026, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has undertaken 226 inspections of premises where engineered stone may be being used, leading to inspectors serving 394 enforcement notices.

At this stage of the inspection programme it is not possible to draw general conclusions about the overall levels of compliance in the sector.

Great Britain has a well-established regulatory framework to protect workers from exposure to harmful dusts, including from processing engineered stone.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is delivering a targeted programme of over 1000 inspections to enforce duties on employers to prevent or adequately control exposure, as is required by the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002. HSE is also raising awareness of how to control the risk from using engineered stone through a focussed publicity campaign and engagement with industry stakeholders.

HSE will consider the findings from planned inspections, enforcement and engagement activities to assess whether additional restriction on the supply and use of engineered stone is necessary to prevent workers being exposed to silica dust from work activities using engineered stone products.

I refer the Hon. Member to answer I gave on 23 June 2026 to Question UIN 5634.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) monitors silicosis using multiple data sources, including voluntary reporting by chest physicians participating in the Surveillance of Work-related and Occupational Respiratory Disease (SWORD) scheme and cases assessed under the Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit (IIDB), which together inform its annual statistics on silicosis.

HSE continues to work closely with medical experts and industry bodies such as the Worktop Fabricators Federation and the British Occupational Hygiene society, to understand the wider perspective.

Great Britain has a robust and well-established regulatory framework to protect workers from health risks arising from exposure to hazardous substances, including respirable crystalline silica under the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002. The right controls, including water suppression of dust and mist control, appropriate respiratory protective equipment and effective ventilation, can prevent exposure to respirable crystalline silica when processing engineered stone products.

The Health and Safety Executive has published guidance specifically for engineered stone processing, highlighting how employers can protect their workers from stone dust when hand processing, supported by the inspection campaign. Inspections of all workshops known to be cutting engineered stone are being undertaken by Health and Safety Executive inspectors this year to ensure that the obligations of duty holders to comply with that law, including in relation to employee health surveillance, are being enforced. Inspectors will be carrying out more than 1,000 inspections across the industry and where standards are not met, enforcement action is being taken.

Great Britain has a robust and well-established regulatory framework to protect workers from health risks arising from exposure to hazardous substances, including respirable crystalline silica under the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002. The right controls, including water suppression of dust and mist control, appropriate respiratory protective equipment and effective ventilation, can prevent exposure to respirable crystalline silica when processing engineered stone products. Health and Safety Executive inspectors are using existing enforcement powers including serving both improvement notices and prohibition notices to secure the measures necessary to protect workers at risk from exposure.

Workers can be protected if the right control measures are in place to prevent exposure to harmful dust. The Health and Safety Executive will be carrying out more than 1000 inspections and where standards are not met, enforcement action is being taken to prohibit dry processing and require improvements in controls for dust. Further statutory restrictions on dry cutting engineered stone are not currently being proposed.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has launched a campaign to highlight clear expectations for what businesses must do in recently published guidance and on HSEs Workright website.

HSE will be carrying out more than 1000 inspections to every site it can identify that works with engineered stone. Where standards are not met, enforcement action is being taken, including issuing improvement or prohibition notices that require a duty holder to make improvements or stop dangerous activities.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) receives funding from the Department to support its role as workplace health and safety regulator. It is for HSE to prioritise how best to use that funding to support its core activities. HSE has identified resource from within its existing budget to undertake work on engineered stone workshops and related workplaces.

Active health surveillance is a mandatory duty placed upon relevant duty holders under health and safety law, which will detect and tackle ill health amongst workers who may be exposed. Employers are required to act on the results they receive and workers should also inform their employer if they are concerned about symptoms. Voluntary health screening, which does not connect to a system of health surveillance through the employer, falls within the remit of the Department of Health and Social Care.

A programme of inspections of all workshops known to be cutting engineered stone is being undertaken by the Health and Safety Executive this year, to ensure that the obligations of duty holders - including in relation to employee health surveillance - are being complied with.

Recognising this question could apply to any publicly funded building, Contracting Authorities can already apply relevant workplace safety considerations where relevant to publicly procured contracts, including for engineered stone products.

Where such materials are specified on MHCLG contracts, Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) regulations require our suppliers to protect their staff to ensure that hazardous exposure is prevented or adequately controlled.

COSHH guidance on the use and cutting of engineered stone products has recently been issued by the Health and Safety Executive (ST3A), along with increased enforcement of standards and an awareness campaign here.

The department is currently developing policies that will help grow the market for low carbon industrial products, including green procurement and improved carbon accounting. The initial focus of these policies is steel, cement, and concrete products used in construction.

The department recently ran a technical consultation that included questions on whether other industrial sectors should be included in the scope of these policies in future. Although natural stone was not explicitly mentioned in the consultation, it would align with one of the options; to take a strategic approach to expand these policies to other sectors related to construction. The department is currently reviewing the responses to this consultation and will publish a summary and its own response in due course.

The government also recognises the role that whole life carbon assessments can play in helping developers to evaluate carbon emissions across all stages of a building or structure’s life. This approach can support decision makers to adopt materials which have a lower overall environmental impact. Whole life carbon assessments are embedded into green procurement approaches being taken by government departments, such as instituting carbon management plans.

The department would welcome engagement with any interested stakeholders from the natural stone sector.

The government does not promote one measure over another, instead energy efficiency measures installed under current Government energy efficiency schemes must be compliant with PAS 2035/2030 to ensure installations are done to the highest quality and the risk of unintended consequences, such as condensation or damp, are minimised.

The Trade Remedies Authority (TRA) is the UK’s investigatory body that exists to defend the UK against unfair international trade practices, including foreign government subsidies.

I encourage UK industry to engage directly with the TRA if they believe they are being injured by unfair trading practices as it will be for the TRA to decide whether evidentiary thresholds to initiate a trade remedies investigation are met.

The Department remains vigilant to any reports of potential injury to industries from unfair trading practices and regularly engages with the natural stone sector.

We have no specific plans to introduce the specific kind of support he refers to.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is working within the framework set out in the ‘New Approach to ensure regulators and regulation support growth’ (also known as the Regulators Action Plan – RAP) to identify potential administrative burden reductions. As part of the RAP, HSE committed to look at three areas: Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrence Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR); Pressure Systems Safety Regulations 2000 (PSSR) and Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER) and reforms to aspects of chemicals regulation for which HSE holds the policy lead. These three areas are in the process of consultation and/or call for evidence. The analysis of the responses will be used to inform the next steps in supporting the 25% administrative burden reduction target.

The Department for Business and Trade does not offer any specific support for British natural stone for heritage restoration projects.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport supports heritage restoration projects with several grant schemes, including those covering VAT for repairs through the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme and the Memorial Grant Scheme. Additional funds, such as the Heritage At Risk Capital Fund and the Heritage Revival Fund, provide financial support in England for repairing endangered heritage sites and repurposing neglected historic buildings for community and economic benefit.

The Trade Remedies Authority (TRA) is the UK’s investigatory body that exists to defend the UK against unfair international trade practices, including foreign subsidies.

I encourage UK industry to engage directly with the TRA if they believe they are being injured by unfair trading practices as it will be for the TRA to decide whether evidentiary thresholds to initiate a trade remedies investigation are met.

The Department remains vigilant to any reports of potential injury to industries from unfair trading practices and regularly engages with the natural stone sector.

The Trade Remedies Authority (TRA) is the UK’s investigatory body that exists to defend the UK against unfair international trade practices, including foreign subsidies.

I encourage UK industry to engage directly with the TRA if they believe they are being injured by unfair trading practices as it will be for the TRA to decide whether evidentiary thresholds to initiate a trade remedies investigation are met.

The Department remains vigilant to any reports of potential injury to industries from unfair trading practices and regularly engages with the natural stone sector.