§ 14. Mr. Harry Barnes (North-East Derbyshire)What action he is taking to protect workers from exposure to vinyl chloride monomer; and if he will make a statement. [148454]
§ The Minister for the Environment (Mr. Michael Meacher)The control of substances hazardous to health regulations require employers to prevent or control exposure of their employees to vinyl chloride monomer, and several approved codes of practice give practical guidance on the application of the regulations to vinyl chloride. The Health and Safety Commission will consult about proposals to introduce a more stringent exposure limit for vinyl chloride monomer before the European Union directive is introduced.
§ Mr. BarnesWorkers at the former Vinatex plant in my constituency were exposed to VCM, and many developed cancer. Recent research by the International Agency for Research on Cancer suggests that exposure to 158 cancers through VCM is much wider than was previously believed. Will the Minister consider reinstating the angio-sarcoma register which details such matters, and extending it to include the new information that the survey reveals?
§ Mr. MeacherI would like to pay tribute to my hon. Friend for the way in which he has pursued issues that relate to exposure to chemicals in more than one case in his constituency, which I have visited.
Vinatex was a PVC manufacturer at Staveley until 1985. As my hon. Friend said, much research has been carried out, not least by the trade union safety team, into effects on the workers at the plant. It was published last September and showed a higher incidence of respiratory problems than expected, as well as other conditions.
The Health and Safety Executive has established a national register of angio-sarcoma cases to document more accurately the incidence of that rare cancer and to evaluate its possible occupational associations more generally. I want that work to be completed and I am keen to follow it up by taking the necessary action to protect workers better in future.