§ Mr. Pavittasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will take steps to ban the use of carbon tetrachloride as a solvent for dry-cleaning in the home and in industry, in view of its toxicity and consequent incidence of liver necrosis.
§ Mr. Dudley SmithNo. There have been considerable efforts over the past few years to advise manufacturers, suppliers and users of carbon tetrachloride of the risks associated with its use and the precautions which should be observed, and to persuade them that it is both practicable and desirable to replace it with other less toxic materials. These efforts, by the Home Office with regard to domestic applications and by the Department of Employment with regard to industrial applications, have led to a situation in which the use of carbon tetrachloride has now been drastically reduced. Where use continues, appropriate warning labels are fixed to containers. In these circumstances, I do not consider that a statutory ban on the use of carbon tetrachloride is necessary.