§ 2. Mr. Kirkwoodasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what evidence he has received on the levels of incidence of polychlorinated biphenyl in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.
§ The Under-Secretary of State for the Environment (Mr. William Waldegrave)Manufacture of polychlorinated biphenyls — PCBs — ceased in the United Kingdom in 1977. Their use is declining, and both their use and disposal are controlled. Evidence of a decline in environmental levels of PCBs is so far inconclusive. The evidence which Ministers receive is published and I will, with permission, circulate references in the Official Report.
§ Mr. KirkwoodI am grateful to the Minister for that reply. Does he accept that it is time to review the levels set for some of these persistent and toxic chemicals? Is he aware of the situation at Bonnyrigg, at the Re-Chem (International) factory? There is evidence that some of the cattle stock losses are attributable to PCB poisoning.
§ Mr. WaldegraveI must refer an allegation about a specific incident in Scotland to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland, because the inspectorate in Scotland is separate from that in England. The hon. Gentleman is right to say that Re-Chem disposes of these substances under strict controls, which are kept up to date. Further provisions are under discussion in the EC for tightening the controls, and at the recent Council of Environment Ministers I was able to say that I welcomed those proposals.
§ Following are the references—
- (i) Digest of Environmental Protection and Water Statistics, No. 6, 1983 (DOE/HMSO 1984), Table 3.5(b); Additional Tables 24 and 29.
- (ii) Polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) residues in food and human tissues: 13th report of the Steering Group on Food Surveillance (MAFF/HMSO 1983).