“UK Has Highest Incidence of Mesothelioma in the World,” Says Doctor
In a letter published by the Guardian 2nd of January, Dr Gill Reed, Former technical adviser, Joint Union Asbestos Committee, proclaimed the UK to have the highest percentage of mesothelioma cases in the world due to asbestos exposure.
He also wrote that the Guardian’s investigation of underinvestment in public buildings revealed its detrimental impact, and revealed as many as 1.5m children in England were studying in unfit school buildings (read more here).
He also commented that it was “heartening” that a government spokesperson has remarked that “immediate action to remedy the state of disrepair” should be taken.
Upon divulging that UK building condition surveys and asbestos regulations do not include a measure of the risk of staff and children developing incurable mesothelioma cancer from long-term asbestos exposure in public buildings, he expostulated over the government’s inaction to prevent further fatalities.
“The UK now has the highest incidence of mesothelioma in the world, and the evidence indicates that hundreds of thousands of children and staff may die from it in future because they were exposed to asbestos in their former schools.”
“The government should take immediate action to develop asbestos regulations and funding for the identification and remediation, as necessary, of all schools with unsafe asbestos levels. Our children deserve no less.”
Doctor Reed’s investigation’s findings were published last year by the National Education Union and can be read here.
The Guardian concluded Reed’s assertions with the opinion of one Ed Campbell, who blamed underfunding for most public buildings’ inevitable deterioration. “Twenty years ago, I was responsible for the preparation of both the school organisation plan and the asset management plan for a local education authority (LEA) of about 10 secondary schools and 60 primary, special and nursery schools.”
Campbell calculated that £10m should be set aside annually for the planned replacement of the school stock over a rolling 60-year period; £4.5m for capitalised planned maintenance, £3m for curriculum developments requiring alteration and modernisation, and £2.5m for “unpredictables” (for example, health and safety legislation, removal of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete, asbestos and disabled access).
Campbell also explained that, since the 1970s, the annual government cap on borrowing to invest in schools in his LEA has never surpassed £2m, meaning deterioration of these buildings has always been not only likely but a given.
Ultimately, one-off approvals for new schools aren’t adequate to deal with the surmounting issues. Inadequate private finance initiative credits have left the LEA with an annual deficit of £5m, making it more difficult than ever to pay the concessionaires.
“Belated recognition of the problem is welcome. Perhaps the time is now ripe to bite the bullet on the bizarre public sector borrowing requirement rules.”
Source: Labour must get asbestos out of schools urgently
See some of our previous articles on this topic:
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