§ 11.13 a.m.
§ Lord HALEMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the first Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government how many industrial plants in the United Kingdom are now using materials capable of producing toluene 757 di-isocyanate, whether they are all observing a safety limit on 0.02 parts per million parts of air and whether this limit is now considered sufficient protection for the public health.
§ Lord JACQUESMy Lords, the Health and Safety Executive know of several thousand industrial plants in the United Kingdom using materials capable of emitting TDI and other isocyanates. Employers endeavour to observe the safety limit and where this has not proved practicable it is necessary for the operators to wear positive pressure air line breathing apparatus. The Health and Safety Executive itself has a rigorous enforcement policy regarding the health hazard of isocyanates. Observance of the limit is considered to give sufficient protection, but the matter is under continuous review.
§ Lord HALEMy Lords, while appreciating the importance and variety of the chemical processes involved, and admiring the march of industrial chemistry in so many fields, may I ask my noble friend whether it is not permissible for even an ancient and uninformed Life Peer to wonder why a vapour of this immense toxicity, with magnified danger to asthmatics, should be used in the process of applying a little extra gloss to plastic bags?
§ Lord JACQUESI can only give the Government's view, my Lords. That view is that the use of these materials should receive a high priority in the work of the Health Executive. In the current year it has been a major priority and three things have happened: first, a technical leaflet has been issued to employers; secondly, the Inspectorate has given special attention to the problem; and, thirdly, there have been and are continuing to be discussions with the trade associations concerned. The Government are doing everything they can to minimise the hazard.
Lord BRUCE of DONNINGTONMy Lords, will my noble friend say whether the Government are convinced that they have sufficient Inspectorate facilities to ensure that the limits are kept to?
§ Lord JACQUESThat is another question and is a matter of opinion, my Lords. I would say that we believe we 758 have a sufficient Inspectorate and that when we get a problem of this kind we give it the kind of priority it deserves, regardless of the size of the Inspectorate.