§ Mrs. Ann TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will take action to reduce the occupational exposure limit for ethylene dibromide in the light of the recently publishedBritish Journal of Industrial Medicine article "Semen quality in papaya workers with long term exposure to ethylene dibromide".
§ Mr. NichollsThe Health and Safety Commission recently reduced the occupational exposure limit for ethylene dibromide in air from 1 part per million to 0.5 ppm to measured as an eight-hour time-weighted average. That limit came into effect on 1 January 1989.
The HSC's advisory committee on toxic substances will shortly be considering proposals for translating that limit into a maximum exposure limit under the new Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations. I will ensure that the article referred to by the hon. Member is brought to the attention of the committee.