§ Mr. Georgeasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the acceptable level of lead pollution in England and Wales; what is the level of lead pollution in Walsall; if he had studied the Harwell Atomic Energy Corporation study of Walsall; and if he will make a statement.
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§ Mr. MarksThere is no single limit for the acceptable level of lead pollution in the environment. Lead enters the body in a number of ways, principally through food and drink; to a lesser extent through the air. Other sources are lead from paint, pottery glazes, etc. A measure of man's uptake of lead is the lead content of blood and although there is no set standard in the United Kingdom the normal upper limit for the general population is taken to be 35 microgrammes/100 ml. Work is now being planned under an EEC directive to measure the blood lead contents of sample populations in major cities and also of critical groups who might be exposed to above average lead concentrations.
In the United Kingdom steps have already been taken to limit the total exposure of the population by a number of measures. These include phased reductions of lead in petrol, a reduction in the lead content of paint, treatment of plumbosolvent water, proposals to lower the permitted lead content of food. In addition, a major research programme is in progress to improve our understanding of lead and its effects.
Lead levels in the air in Walsall have not been sampled in any research projects sponsored by the Department of the Environment. I am aware of the Hanwell study, but the Department and other Departments concerned, including the Department of Health and Social Security, have not yet had the opportunity to study it in detail. I will write to my hon. Friend when this has been done.