Stephen has joined his Labour colleagues, Ian Lavery MP, Mick Antoniw, Member of the Welsh Parliament and Anas Sarwar, Leader of the Scottish Labour Party in writing to the Head of Ukrainian Parliament, Dmytro Razumkov. The letter asks that Ukraine take action to ban the use of asbestos.
Asbestos is a naturally occurring, fibrous material which is mined. Several forms are recognised but all are dangerous to health following inhalation of fibres. It is well known that there is a long latent period between exposure and development of disease. Use of asbestos has been widespread in the industrialised world since the mid-nineteenth century, particularly in the shipbuilding and construction industries.
The banning asbestos in Ukraine has been caught up in a geopolitical conflict over the country’s quest to join the European Union and the determination of Russia to prevent it from doing so.
The letter states “…[we] whole-heartedly endorse Ukraine’s determination to protect its citizens by ending asbestos use…[and] look forward to engaging in future discussions with you.”
You can read the letter here.