Cancer

HC Deb 04 February 1957 vol 564 cc13-5

16. Mr. R. Harris

asked the Minister of Health, as representing the Lord President of the Council, what information his Department now has on the connection between diesel engine fumes and the increase in cancer.

Mr. Vosper

The investigations being made under the auspices of the Medical Research Council into the nature and effects of the exhaust products of diesel engines have provided no evidence to support the suggestion that these fumes are a cause of cancer.

Mr. Harris

Is the Minister aware that there is still some concern about the possible connection between diesel engine fumes and the increase in cancer? Can he say whether he has now finished with the matter altogether and is making no further investigations?

Mr. Vosper

Investigations will continue. I can assure my hon. Friend that there was no connection whatsoever; indeed, a similar inquiry among London Passenger Transport employees working with diesel vehicles showed that the incidence was no greater than it was amongst other employees.

Mr. Nabarro

Is it not a fact that diesel oil fumes in congested urban areas are a direct contributory factor to smog? As smog has detrimental effects upon everybody's lungs, is it not reasonable to suppose that diesel oil fumes have an important bearing upon the incidence of lung cancer?

Mr. Vosper

I dare say that that is so. I did say that investigations were continuing. But the direct association between diesel fumes and cancer has not been proved.

Dr. Summerskill

The Minister's predecessor told the House that he was not prepared to accept statistical evidence, and the right hon. Gentleman has just told one of his hon. Friends that he is not prepared to accept his hon. Friend's question because there is no statistical evidence. Will the Minister therefore inform the House—I will give him time to consider the matter carefully—what form of evidence he needs in order to be convinced with respect to the causative features of lung cancer?

Mr. Vosper

I have already said that investigations are continuing. I have no statistics to date to show that there is an association between these two things.

Mr. Nabarro

A very dubious ally.

55. Mr. Lipton

asked the Minister of Health, as representing the Lord President of the Council, how much is being spent from public funds on research into the connection between smoking and lung cancer.

Mr. Vosper

In the current financial year the Medical Research Council is spending about £29,000 on research on this subject. Most of this sum comes from the lung cancer research fund put at the disposal of the Council by a group of British tobacco manufacturers.

Mr. Lipton

Is it not quite deplorable that the Government are making no contribution at all towards research in this matter? Is the fact that the Government are making no contribution to be explained by the policy announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer recently that the Treasury does not want too many people to stop smoking? Is that not an immoral and infamous attitude?

Mr. Vosper

It is not, of course, true that the Government are making no contribution. They are making some contribution towards this particular piece of research, and the Medical Research Council this year spent £327,000 from public funds on cancer research as a whole; but the mere expenditure of money will not necessarily provide the answer to this problem.

Mr. Lipton

In view of the proved connection between smoking and lung cancer, has the right hon. Gentleman any comment to make on what apparently is the policy of the Treasury, that the Treasury does not want too many people to stop smoking?

Mr. Vosper

I am anxious to find the solution to this problem, and I would not be influenced by any views of the hon. Member.