§ Mr. Freesonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if any studies have been undertaken by his Department on the association of lead with behaviour and intelligence in children.
§ Mr. Geoffrey FinsbergThe Department has not directly supported any studies because research in this field is undertaken by the Medical Research Council, from support provided by the Department of Education and Science. The council is aware of the priority awarded to this topic by the Health Departments and by the Department of the Environment, and is continuing to support relevant studies. Currently it is supporting Dr. William Yule and Dr. R. G. Lansdown in a one-year project that extends the coverage of earlier work into the relationship between blood lead levels and intelligence, behaviour and attainment in school children. I understand that the Department of the Environment is supporting a study of the relationship between blood lead levels and behavioural measures in children—Dr. P. G. Harvey—and an epidemiological study of the relationship between body lead levels, behaviour and intelligence in children—Professors P. J. Graham and Barbara Clayton.