No serious health concerns following New Mole House asbestos report, Feetham confirms 

No serious health concerns relating to asbestos at New Mole House police station have been reported, the Minister for Justice, Nigel Feetham, told Parliament, as he said the Government is examining the possible relocation of New Mole House Police Station to an alternative site. 

Mr Feetham was questioned by GSD MP Joelle Ladislaus regarding the asbestos concern which recently arose due to the recent the inclement weather. 

The minister described how “everybody in Gibraltar knows” that the pre-1945 MOD building contains asbestos, adding that asbestos in the building existed before 2000 and that it would be “unlikely that previous administrations would have been unaware of the potential asbestos presence”. 

He said the first firmly documented survey identifying asbestos at New Mole House was commissioned in August 2012 by the then GSLP-Liberal administration. 

“No serious concerns to health arising from potential asbestos exposure at New Mole House have been reported to me until the recent heavy rain,” he said. 

Mr Feetham said he was made aware of concerns by Unite the Union on or around February 3, 2026, and immediately visited the police station with his team, speaking to officers and visiting the affected areas. He said he also discussed the matter with the Commissioner of Police and informed the Chief Secretary. 

Two technical surveys were carried out in the past 24 months, he said. 

The first, conducted in December 2024, was a health and safety site inspection report that did not raise concerns about any immediate asbestos-related risk to health, nor suggest deterioration, unsafe disturbance, restriction of access or urgent removal.  

He said that an asbestos register was in place and that ceiling tiles had been labelled with asbestos warning tags. 

“The only asbestos-related action identified was to ensure that any asbestos on the site is marked with suitable warning notices and stickers,” he said. 

The second asbestos survey was commissioned in February 2026 following water ingress caused by heavy rain and Mr Feetham said that the RGP is awaiting the written report.  

Mr Feetham said the technical assessments had concluded and that on February 18, 2026, the Royal Gibraltar Police were verbally informed that restricted areas had been assessed and deemed safe for reoccupation. 

While asbestos remained present within certain materials, he said the assessment confirmed that no asbestos fibres had been released. 

“Consequently, I have advised that there is no health risk provided that routine monitoring continues,” he said. 

He confirmed that areas previously cordoned off, including the Sir Robert Peel Room, the Response Team Computer Room, the Information Management and Vetting Unit, the Records Department, the Female Locker Room and the stairwell adjacent to the Command and Dispatch Centre, were no longer inaccessible as of February 18. 

Opposition questions focused on why no further asbestos surveys had been conducted between 2012 and 2024, despite what Ms Ladislaus described as the building being “in a state of disrepair for some time”. 

She asked why the Government had acted “reactively” following inclement weather rather than commissioning earlier assessments. 

Mr Feetham said that decision to commission surveys were taken at the request of the Commissioner of Police, and that he assumed previous Commissioners did not request a report. 

He questioned why no survey had been carried out during the GSD’s 16 years in government, prompting further exchanges with the Leader of the Opposition, Keith Azopardi. 

Mr Azopardi said the central question was why, after asbestos had been identified in 2012, it had taken a further 12 years for another survey to be conducted. 

“The point is that they knew from 2012 that there was asbestos there,” he said. 

“Why did it take another 12 years to do another survey?” 

Mr Feetham confirmed that the Government was examining the possible relocation of New Mole House Police Station to an alternative site and concept designs for a new location had been developed and discussions with a third party were under way. 

“Any decision will of course be guided by professional advice, operational requirements, and the need to maintain policing effectiveness,” he said. 

He added that the Royal Gibraltar Police operated from multiple premises across Gibraltar and not solely from New Mole House, citing the relocation of the Public Protection Unit to New Harbours and plans for the Economic Crime Unit to move to offices near the Director of Public Prosecutions, including civilian appointments, allowing it to operate at its largest staff levels since inception. 

“These examples demonstrate the Government's consistent approach, ensuring that RGP officers have facilities, resources and operational support necessary to carry out their duties effectively across premises and not only New Mole Building,” Mr Feetham said. 

In the event that a new police station was constructed, he said, there would be no need to relocate RGP personnel during the project.  

He added that if New Mole House were expanded and refurbished instead, a programme of works would be developed by technical experts to determine the necessary action. 

When pressed on the commitment for a new premises, Mr Feetham said that the GSD is “obsessed” with the GSLP manifesto while at the same time the Opposition does not commit to plans stating they “don’t know what’s in the coffers”.