§ Mr. Christopher Priceasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish in the Official Report the total rate and grant-borne expenditure of (a) London boroughs, (b) London precepting authorities, (c) metropolitan districts, (d) metropolitan counties, (e) non-metropolitan districts, (f) non-metropolitan counties and (g) local authorities not included in (a), in 1978–79, 1979–80, 1980–81 and the estimates for 1981–82.
§ Mr. King[pursuant to his reply, 4 March 1982, c. 240]: The available information is as follows:
therefore responsible, with other authorities, for the preparation of inner area programmes, which include projects to be undertaken by all those authorities. The following table shows the allocations made under the urban programme in 1981–82 and 1982–83 for expenditure under those programmes by district, county and health authorities. It also shows the allocations to the individual district councils where these have been made.
§ Mr. StanleyThe British Standards Institution has published a standard BS 5617 specifying the requirements to be met both by the raw materials used and the resulting urea formaldehyde foam. BSI has also issued code of practice BS 5618 describing good practice for the 193W installation of foam to fill the cavities of suitably situated and constructed walls with masonry inner and outer leaves. The code of practice defines the properties of the outer leaf of a cavity wall that make it suitable for filling, and indicates essential procedures and precautions.
My Department has also issued type relaxation direction 4 allowing insulation to be inserted upon seven days notice to a local authority provided that the installer concerned is registered with the British Standards Institution under its surveillance scheme.
§ Mr. Terry Davisasked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many houses have been insulated with urea formaldehyde foam.
§ Mr. StanleyAbout 1 million dwellings in Great Britain may be insulated with urea formaldehyde foam. This is a broad estimate based on figures from Audits of Great Britain Ltd.
§ Mr. Terry Davisasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what information is available to him about the effects of urea formaldehyde foam insulation on health.
§ Mr. StanleyUrea formaldehyde foam does not normally come into contact with the body and the foam itself is not known to affect health. In certain conditions the substance emits small amounts of free formaldehyde vapour, and when it is used to insulate walls the vapour can enter a buiding and can sometimes cause irritation of the respiratory tract and the eyes of occupants. Formaldehyde is known to produce senstivitiy of the skin and respiratory tract in a small proportion of individuals. However, the chief medical officer of the Department of Health and Social Security, who is the Government's chief adviser on health matters, has indicated that the completed studies of people exposed to formaldehyde vapour have not found any evidence that it causes cancer, changes in lung structure, or permanent impairment of lung function in man. A further recent report on research in animals is at present under consideration by the appropriate specialised advisory committee of the DHSS.