In April 2026, a new National Asbestos Taskforce launched — a coalition spanning the asbestos industry, trade unions, charities and campaign groups, including ARCA, ATaC, Mesothelioma UK, the TUC and the National Education Union. Its goal is direct: a government-mandated, phased programme to remove asbestos from the UK built environment, starting with the highest-risk and damaged materials.
Despite the 1999 ban, an estimated six million tonnes of asbestos remains in UK buildings — schools, hospitals, offices, factories and homes. Asbestos remains the UK’s biggest cause of work-related deaths, with more than 5,000 deaths a year and 2,218 mesothelioma deaths recorded in 2023 alone. The Taskforce’s argument is one we recognise from every survey we attend: buildings deteriorate, and “manage it indefinitely” only works until the material stops being manageable.
We remove asbestos every working day — from schools at half-term to live industrial plants. What we see supports the Taskforce’s case: material that was “low risk” on a register five years ago, now damaged by water ingress, maintenance work or simple age. Planned, phased removal under controlled conditions is always safer and cheaper than emergency response after a disturbance.
Nothing is law yet — the Taskforce is a campaign, not a regulator. But with government engagement already underway, the direction of travel for duty-holders is clear: expect more scrutiny of asbestos registers, management plans and removal records. Practical steps now: make sure your asbestos management plan is current, re-inspections are up to date, and higher-risk materials have a realistic removal plan rather than an indefinite “manage in place” note. When removal is mandated — or simply sensible — planned programmes secure better prices and less disruption than reactive work.
We’ll be watching the Taskforce’s recommendations closely and will keep this news section updated. In the meantime, if your register has entries you’d rather not think about, talk to our team — a fixed written quote costs nothing.
