§ Sir R. Gowerasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Works what is the present policy of his Department with regard to the installation of fluorescent lighting in Government Departments for use in rooms where clerical work has to be carried out continuously in artificial light; in what proportion of such rooms it is already installed; and what expert advice has been obtained as to whether fluorescent lighting is beneficial or harmful to the human eye?
§ Mr. HicksFluorescent lighting is extensively used both in this country and in the United States of America to secure evenly distributed illumination over a wide area with the minimum of glare, and it is accordingly the policy of the Ministry to provide this lighting in rooms from which daylight is excluded and where 1089W important war work is being carried on. Such lighting has been installed in practically all cases in which these conditions obtain. I am not aware of any grounds for suggesting that the light is deleterious to the human eye, provided proper precautions are taken to prevent flicker, but if the hon. Member has any information to the contrary, I shall be glad to receive it.