§ 13. Mr. Swinglerasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list the studies which have been carried out on the incidence of bronchitis and emphysema in the coalmining and other industries; and if he will make available to hon. Members a summary of the results of these studies.
§ Sir E. BoyleThe results of nine surveys of the occurrence among industrial workers of respiratory symptoms associated with chronic bronchitis and emphysema have been published since 1955. The material is too lengthy and diverse for convenient summary, but, with permission. I will circulate a list 596 of references to these studies in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Mr. SwinglerCould the right hon. Gentleman give us an impartial and authoritative summary of the up-to-date research on this subject? Is he aware of the widespread opinion that we are not doing justice at the moment to workers who are disabled by dust diseases and that all we are lacking is authoritative evidence about the relationship between bronchitis and emphysema and certain occupations where there is a risk of dust? Can we have some effort to produce a summation of the results of all this scientific effort?
§ Sir E. BoyleI can tell the hon. Gentleman, of whose interest in this matter I am aware, that the investigations to date have not demonstrated a connection between bronchitis and emphysema and conditions of employment. A number of very important surveys are now in progress of which I am ready to send the hon. Gentleman details. I do not think that we should yet reach a final decision in the matter.
§ Following is the list of references:
§ Cochrane, A. L., Cox, J. G., Harman, T. F. "A 'Follow-up' chest x-ray survey in the Rhondda Fach. I. Pulmonary tuberculosis". Brit. med. J. 1955, 1, 371.
§ Higgins, I. T. T., Cochrane, A. L., Oldham, P. D., Gilson, J. C. "Respiratory symptoms and pulmonary disability in an industrial town". Brit. med. J. 1956, 2, 904.
§ Higgins, I. T. T. "Respiratory symptoms, bronchitis, and ventilatory capacity in a random sample of an agricultural population". Brit. med. J. 1957, 2, 1198.
§ Higgins, I. T. T., Cochrane, A. L., Gilson, J. C., Wood, C. H. "Population studies of chronic respiratory disease. A comparison of miners, foundry-workers, and others in Staveley, Derbyshire". Brit. J. industr. Med. 1959, 16, 255.
§ Higgins, I. T. T. "A symposium on industrial pulmonary diseases". London, J. & A. Churchill Ltd., 1960. (Edit.: King, E. J. and Fletcher, C. M.) Chap. 16.
§ Higgins, I. T. T., Cochrane, A. L. "Chronic respiratory disease in a random sample of men and women in the Rhondda Fach in 1958". Brit. J. industr. Med. 1961, 18, 93.
§ Mair, A., Smith, D. H., Wilson, W. A., and Lockhart, W. "Dust diseases in Dundee textile workers". Brit. J. industr. Med. 1960, 17, 272.
§ Rogan, J. M., Ashford, J. R., Chapman, P. J., Duffield, D. P., Fay, J. W. J., and Rae, S. "Pneumoconiosis and respiratory symptoms in miners at eight collieries". Brit. med. J. 1961, 1, 1337.
597§ Schilling, R. S. F., Hughes, J. P. W., Dingwall-Fordyce, I., and Gilson, J. C. "An epidemiological study of byssinosis among Lancashire cotton workers". Brit. J. industr. Med. 1955, 12, 217.