§ Mr. Redmondasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether his attention has been called to a warning, recently issued by Japanese scientists, to the fact that the use of certain brands of carbonless copying paper containing polychlorinated biphenyls cause skin diseases, liver diseases and the breakdown of female sex hormones; and whether he proposes to take steps to prevent the use of such copying paper in this country.
§ Mr. AlisonThe toxicological significance of polychlorinated biphenyls—known as PCBs—derives from their property to accumulate in human body fat like other organo-chlorine compounds where they probably remain for considerable lengths of time. However, PCBs have been in use now for about 40 years and so far there has been no evidence to indicate that the levels now known to be in the environment contribute a hazard to human health.
There is at the moment considerable interest in environmental pollution by PCBs of which carbonless copying paper has been a known source in some countries abroad, but I understand that carbonless copying paper of this type is not now being manufactured in this country nor imported. The possible hazard to health arising from the use of carbonless copying paper containing PCBs is only one aspect of the problem of environmental pollution by PCB and cannot really be separated from that arising from other uses of PCBs, all of which will be investigated in the light of research on the effects of PCB which is currently being carried out in this country and elsewhere. In addition, we are already monitoring for PCB residues in food; and so far the levels detected have been very low.
I understand that the supply of PCBs is voluntarily restricted by the only manufacturer in this country to uses which do not involve any escape of PCB to the environment.