§ Mrs. Bainasked the Secretary of State for Trade (1) if he will maintain records of the importation of benzidine azo dyes, in view of international concern about the high incidence of bladder cancer amongst workers manufacturing these dyes;
(2) if he will list the countries of origin of imports of benzidine azo dyes and the names of any British companies fin-
(metric tonnes) 1977 1978 I. Identifiable United Kingdom Imports of Cadmium Unwrought metal; waste and scrap … … 1,086 1,043 Wrought metal and articles thereof … … 212 131 Pigments based on cadmium salts (unspecified) … … 7 9 Source: United Kingdom Overseas Trade Statistics, ex SITC/R 1 Sub-groups 533.1 and 689.5 and x SITC/R 2 Sub-groups 533.1, 689.99 and 699.99.
(metric tonnes) January-June 1977 1978 II. United Kingdom Production of Cadmium Metal … … 295 118 Source: Institute of Geological Sciences and World Bureau of Metal Statistics.
412Wancing the manufacture of the dyes abroad, following the cessation of their manufacture in Great Britain due to the exceptionally high incidence of bladder cancer amongst workers manufacturing the dyes.
§ Mr. MeacherI am advised by the Health and Safety Executive of the Department of Employment, which is responsible for matters of industrial safety and health, that the concentration of free benzidine in benzidine azo dyes is too low to constitute a hazard to health in normal conditions of use. It therefore does not consider it necessary for information to be collected about imports of these dyes. As benzidine azo dyes are not separately identified in the overseas trade statistics, I am unable to list the countries of origin of imports of them. I have no information on whether any British companies may be financing their manufacture abroad.