§ 25. Dr. Strossasked the Minister of Health what information he has of the ill-effect on health from the inhalation of fluorine gas as a by-product of industrial processes.
§ Mr. Iain MacleodI have no evidence that such ill-effects are occurring.
§ Dr. StrossIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that in my constituency, in the neighbourhood of at least two factories, the glass of the factories is etched and rendered opaque, as is also the glass of many of the houses round about, as a result of fluorides which come from the industrial processes? Would he consider going further into this matter and seeing that some research work is done so that we know what is happening to human beings as well as to cattle?
§ Mr. MacleodI am aware of the recent incident in which four or five cattle were poisoned in the constituency of the hon. Gentleman, but that seemed to me to confirm the investigation in 1949 by the Medical Research Council into an incident in Inverness, which showed that though there may be, and indeed is, danger to animals, there is no danger, so the M.R.C. advised the Minister then, to human life.
§ Dr. StrossBut may I ask the Minister to go further into the matter because 1492 there is a good deal of circumstantial evidence, which we cannot term strictly scientific, that harm comes to human beings? The right hon. Gentleman has a council; will he ask them to look at it again?
§ Mr. MacleodAs I have said, the M.R.C. have looked at it, but I will draw their attention to what the hon. Gentleman has said.