HL Deb 27 June 1968 vol 293 cc1541-2
LORD CROOK

My Lords. I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

[The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have considered the disclosure in the British Medical Journal of a team of doctors—

  1. (a) that workers in the furniture-making industry at High Wycombe are susceptible to a rare form of nasal cancer which is found 1,000 times less in other workers;
  2. (b) that in their view there is a link between the cancer and such hard woods as beech and oak;
  3. (c) that wood machinists, cabinet makers, and chair makers are extremely vulnerable;
  4. (d) that efforts should be made to reduce the concentration of wood dust in furniture factories;
and whether, in consequence, the Factory Inspectorate may be asked to undertake one of their special valuable inspections into this general matter and into the practicability or otherwise, of the adoption of the wearing of face masks as recommended by Dr. E. D. Acheson, the leader of the medical team in question.]

THE JOINT PARLIAMENTARY UNDER-SECRETARY OF STATE FOR SCOTLAND (LORD HUGHES)

My Lords, the Department of Employment and Productivity has been in touch for some time with the authors of the report published in the British Medical Journal on June 8 and gave some assistance in tracing workers and obtaining occupational histories.

Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Factories has written to both sides of the furniture-making industry, and also to the industry's research association, suggesting that representatives of these organisations should meet him to discuss the problems raised by the disclosures made in the report. These include determining more precisely the circumstances which gave rise to the risk of adenocarcinoma; establishing to what extent those circumstances still exist, and deciding what measures may be needed to eliminate the risk. The Department regards face masks very much as a second line of defence, suitable generally only to deal with brief exposure: the first line of defence should be properly-applied dust control, generally by adequate exhaust draught.

LORD CROOK

My Lords, may I take the opportunity of thanking the noble Lord for a most satisfactory Answer.

BARONESS SUMMERSKILL

My Lords, while thanking my noble friend for his Answer, may I ask him whether he would consider doing as the doctors suggest; that is, scheduling this complaint as an industrial disease? And could he insist that these dust extractors should be introduced immediately?

LORD HUGHES

My Lords, having regard to the further investigation which is sought—and this would be a matter of urgency and not for the purpose of putting anything off—I think it would be better that we should act on the fullest possible information we may then obtain.

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