Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to take part in this debate on this important issue. Until recently, asbestos was widely used for many centuries in thousands of building construction products in Canada and around the world. This included insulation for walls, ceilings, and plumbing fixtures.
However, an increasing body of scientific evidence has shown us that asbestos creates serious health risks. Health Canada advises us that breathing in asbestos fibres can cause cancer and other diseases.
One of the government's main responsibilities is to protect the health and safety of its citizens, especially when it comes to the presence of asbestos in old buildings. Therefore, as soon as asbestos is detected in a government building, immediate action must be taken to eliminate the risks.
In the case of buildings that belong to Public Services and Procurement Canada, these measures are taken in strict conformity with all legislative requirements, and this includes asbestos management plans and corrective action, such as removal of the asbestos dust and encapsulation.
Asbestos is removed or encapsulated when there is risk to health and safety or there is a requirement for maintenance or renovation that results in the unavoidable disturbance of asbestos-containing materials.
Furthermore, Public Services and Procurement Canada conducts annual inspections and reports on asbestos-containing materials identified within buildings. The government has always managed current asbestos-related issues, in accordance with the changing regulatory and legislative framework of the past few decades.
That is why whenever the presence of asbestos is identified in a government building, immediate action is taken to remediate the risks. In the case of buildings owned by Public Services and Procurement Canada, this action is taken in strict conformity to all legislative requirements. This includes asbestos management plans and corrective actions such as asbestos abatement and encapsulation.
Asbestos is removed or encapsulated when there is a risk to health and safety or there is a requirement for maintenance or renovation. It is true that asbestos-containing materials are still used across the construction industry in limited applications where it does not easily break apart and thus cannot be inhaled.
The government takes the health and safety of its buildings, occupants, and visitors very seriously and strictly conforms to the legislative requirements for health and safety. To minimize the risk to building occupants, asbestos is removed when there is a health and safety hazard and when undertaking building recapitalization.
As of April 1, 2016, Public Services and Procurement no longer uses asbestos in Public Services and Procurement Canada's new construction and major renovation projects. This follows a review on the use of asbestos in future Public Services and Procurement Canada new construction and major renovation projects.