Page 19 - A National Asbestos Strategy

Current guidance on asbestos management focuses on maintaining asbestos in good
condition, helping prevent fibre release. This approach must be considered in the context of
the condition of the public estate. Asbestos currently does not feature in the cost condition
assessments for public buildings, yet the National Audit Office has identified a £50 billion
backlog in maintenance within the public estate.11 Against this backlog, asbestos is expected
to be maintained in good condition.
Figure 8 - Breakdown of the maintenance backlog costs in the UK, split by property type11
The above table clearly illustrates where the Government’s maintenance backlog can be found,
but alarmingly, the second highest element of the backlog is found in schools that are occupied by
those who are at most significant long term risk from asbestos exposure.
It has been reported that the pre-Covid, around 30,000 notifications were submitted per annum to
undertake licensed asbestos work. Since the exit from Covid restrictions, the number of notifications
for licensed asbestos work has fallen by roughly a third to 20,000 per annum, suggesting that
asbestos removal works may form part of the backlog in maintenance.
12
11 National Audit Office, Maintaining Public Service Facilities, 22 January 2025,
https://www.nao.org.uk/reports/maintaining-public-service-facilities/?nab=1
12 As reported at Asbestos Network meetings.
www.asbestosinformation.org.uk
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