§ LORD IRONSIDEasked Her Majesty's Government:
(1) Whether they regard the use of phenyl mercuric acetate (PMA) based algicides for swimming pools as potentially hazardous in any way to human bathers;
(2) To what extent mercury based algicides are used in local authority public and school pools at the present time.
§ THE PARLIAMENTARY UNDERSECRETARY OF STATE, DEPARTMENT OF THE ENVIRONMENT (LORD SANDFORD)There is no known hazard to bathers arising from the use of these algicides in the recommended concentrations. There is some use of mercury-based and other algicides in open air local authority and school pools and, occasionally, in indoor pools, since the sides and bottom of pools are liable to become slimy if algicides are not used. I should add that an expert Committee is reviewing the advice given by the Department about water in swimming pools. It is considering, among other things, a method of chlorination proposed by the research company with which the noble Lord is associated.