HC Deb 19 November 1956 vol 560 cc1356-7
4. Lieut.-Colonel Lipton

asked the Minister of Health what further evidence he has received about the connection between smoking and lung cancer: and what action he is taking thereon.

8. Mr. Chapman

asked the Minister of Health whether his attention has been drawn to the further results of research by Messrs. Doll and Hill, as published by the British Medical Association, into the mortality of smokers and non-smokers from lung cancer, details of which are in his possession; and whether, as this research, based on a sample of 40,000 people, now shows a death rate from lung cancer among heavy smokers of 20 to 40 times that of non-smokers, he will now revise his decision not to institute a national campaign of information on the dangers of heavy cigarette smoking.

Mr. Turton

A recent paper by Professor Bradford Hill and Dr. Doll confirms the statistical association between smoking and lung cancer, about which I made a statement in the House on 7th May. I will ensure that the public are kept informed of all relevant information as and when it becomes available but, I do not consider that a campaign such as the hon. Member for Northfield (Mr. Chapman) suggests would be at present appropriate.

Lieut.-Colonel Lipton

Now that evidence is clearly piling up to show that smoking and lung cancer are connected, has not the time come for the Minister officially to sponsor a nation-wide campaign in schools and through local health authorities drawing attention to the menace to health of spending £800 million a year on smoking? Surely this state of affairs cannot be tolerated much longer?

Mr. Turton

What is done in the schools is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Minister of Education, who is, in fact, including in his new handbook on Health Education, which contains suggestions for teachers, a passage on the possible dangers associated with smoking. This is a very important paper by Dr. Doll and Professor Bradford Hill, and I am anxious to see that it gets full publicity; but it only confirms the facts previously known and mentioned on 7th May.

Dr. Summerskill

In view of the fact that the Minister has said that the particular paper in the British Medical Journal of 10th November, which I presume the Minister has read, confirms these facts, is he still not prepared to take any action? How can he reconcile that with his previous statement when he suggested that the facts had not been confirmed, and can he say that his statement this afternoon is directly related to the advice which he has received from the medical division of his Department?

Mr. Turton

The right hon. Lady is well aware that it is never the practice in the House to disclose advice given by departmental officials, and therefore it would be improper for me to reply to that question. I am not quite certain to what the right hon. Lady was referring when she stated that I had said that the evidence had not been confirmed. What we have always said is that no scientific proof of the connection has yet been found. It may well be that it will be some time before that evidence comes. What is happening is that statistical evidence is piling up to show a connection between lung cancer and heavy cigarette smoking.

Mr. Fort

In view of the anxiety which this has aroused so widely in this country, would my right hon. Friend consider referring the matter to the Medical Research Council, so that the views not only of Professor Hill and Dr. Doll can be expressed but other medical scientists can examine it and report for the benefit of us all?

Mr. Turton

I will consider that, but I think that the Medical Research Council is well aware of the research at present going on.

Lieut.-Colonel Lipton

In view of the unsatisfactory nature of the reply, I beg to give notice that I will raise the matter on the Adjournment at the earliest possible moment.