Cot Deaths (Hansard, 8 December 1994)

§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Baroness Cumberlege)
My Lords, responding on the 18th November to media speculation about the causes of cot death, the Chief Medical Officer issued a statement which reiterated the earlier advice given to health professionals and parents 1014 during the Back to Sleep campaign. On 30th November he announced the composition of an expert group which has been formed to steer further work on cot deaths by the department.

§ Lord Ashley of Stoke
My Lords, is the Minister aware that most people will welcome the Government's decision to set up that group to look again at the question of whether toxic gases from cot mattresses can in fact contribute to child death? Is she further aware that the anxieties of many parents would be allayed if they could have a specific undertaking that that committee would look into the levels of antimony in human tissues, especially as the original committee failed to do so adequately?

§ Baroness Cumberlege
My Lords, the original committee made a very thorough investigation. Its findings were that there was no causal link between the antimony found in cot mattresses and those babies who suffered sudden infant death syndrome. The terms of reference of the new group are to review the findings of the Turner Report—the report to which I referred—in 1991 and to see whether there are any subsequent data on the hypothesis linking antimony with unexplained deaths in infants. It is to advise the Chief Medical Officer on what further studies should be undertaken to investigate postulated causal relationships between chemicals and cot deaths. I hope that that covers the point.

§ Lord Molloy
My Lords, when Dr. Calman, the Government's Chief Medical Officer, has called together the new group of experts—I believe that the Government made the correct decision and that it will be a great satisfaction to many people—and it has reported, will that report be submitted for examination in the House?

§ Baroness Cumberlege
Yes, my Lords.

§ Baroness Jay of Paddington
My Lords, will the noble Baroness accept that there are many worried parents who probably need immediate counselling and advice on this subject? We welcome some of the terms of reference of the new committee of investigation; but is the Minister aware that the Royal College of Nursing has set up a helpline on this subject which has already received many hundreds of telephone calls? What other action will the Government take to support that kind of proposal, which offers practical help to worried parents at the very moment when they need it?

§ Baroness Cumberlege
My Lords, I am sure the noble Baroness knows that we have a very sophisticated system with health visitors and midwives advising young parents on the care of their babies. We have also issued posters to be displayed in GP surgeries and leaflets on this matter. I should like to commend the Royal College of Nursing on its helpline. It has received 3,000 calls and the Foundation for the Study of Infant Deaths had 4,000 calls. It was a great pity that that particular programme caused so much anxiety and unrest among young parents.

§ Lord Ashley of Stoke
My Lords, will the noble Baroness forgive me if I challenge an assertion that she 1015 made in her Answer? She said that the previous committee conducted a thorough investigation, and that means a comprehensive investigation. I am stating that that committee did not investigate thoroughly the antimony levels in human tissues. That is the issue before us today. That is what we want the expert group to inspect. Will the Minister therefore consider that specific request? It is very important to the outcome of the whole investigation, to the parents and to other people.

§ Baroness Cumberlege
My Lords, the new expert group will do a very thorough job. It will take into account all the points made in the two television programmes. The original group looked into the hypothesis that toxic gases evolved from chemicals in cot mattresses and cot mattress covers, and therefore could have been the cause of sudden infant death syndrome. However, this group will do an even more thorough job.